A strong workforce needs strong foundations. During 2025/26, WHC invested in the systems, leadership and organisational capability needed to support a growing organisation and deliver greater impact for women. From modernising core technology platforms and strengthening cyber security to developing leadership capability and fostering a culture of wellbeing, safety and inclusion, these initiatives are helping to create a more resilient, connected and future-ready organisation.
This year, WHC prioritised psychosocial safety and employee wellbeing, developing a comprehensive psychosocial safety plan, establishing a Work Health and Safety Committee and delivering organisation wide training on the Code of Conduct, workplace behaviour, bullying, discrimination, harassment and grievance management. Work also continued to improve role clarity, workload management and job design, ensuring WHC remains well positioned to attract, retain and support talented people who are committed to improving housing outcomes for women.
We continued to strengthen our organisational culture through a deliberate focus on leadership development, accountability and values-based behaviours. Key initiatives included investment in leadership capability, and the embedding of a shared culture framework centred on collaboration, integrity, courage and respect.
These efforts have supported greater staff engagement, increased self-awareness, stronger cross-team collaboration and a culture where people feel empowered to contribute ideas, address challenges constructively and drive continuous improvement. In recognition of this progress and the organisation’s commitment to positive, sustainable change, WHC was proud to receive the Change Champion Award, reflecting the collective efforts of staff and leaders in building a stronger, more connected and high-performing culture.
During 2025/26, WHC invested in leadership capability to support a growing organisation and strengthen our foundations. Executive and senior leaders participated in a tailored leadership development program incorporating 360-degree feedback, individual coaching and leadership training focused on self-awareness, communication, resilience and effective leadership.
The program was reinforced through partnerships with external coaching providers, giving Executive and Senior Leadership Team members access to professional coaching and development opportunities. These initiatives have helped build leadership capability and strengthen collaboration across teams, with the ultimate goal of fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and shared purpose. By investing in its leaders, WHC remains well positioned to deliver its strategic objectives and future growth ambitions.
WHC also invested in bringing staff together through organisation-wide planning, development and consultation activities. All-staff events, business planning workshops and leadership sessions provided opportunities for employees to contribute to WHC's strategic direction, strengthen relationships and build a shared sense of purpose.
A highlight was the February 2026 All-Staff Meeting, where staff participated in a hands-on exercise to design and build "A Good Place to Live". Teams were challenged to consider what makes housing safe, accessible, functional and welcoming, while also reflecting on the importance of quality, security and community. The activity encouraged collaboration, creativity and discussion about the features that contribute to positive housing outcomes, connecting staff across the organisation to the experiences and needs of the women and children WHC supports every day.
This year marked significant progress in delivering WHC's Technology Roadmap, a multi-year program focused on improving operational efficiency and building a future-ready organisation. The roadmap prioritises cyber security, digital transformation and the modernisation of core business platforms to better support staff, tenants and service delivery.
WHC successfully implemented the Employment Hero platform, a centralised HR and payroll platform designed to improve employee experience and provide stronger workforce data and reporting capabilities. The system went live in February 2026, with payroll, leave management and core HR functions successfully transitioned to the new platform.
A post-implementation review found high levels of staff understanding, effective communication throughout the rollout and positive feedback regarding training and support. Insights from the review are now being used to strengthen project governance, change management and future technology implementations across the organisation.
WHC maintained a strong focus on governance, risk and compliance throughout 2025/26, ensuring our systems, policies and practices continue to meet the standards expected of a leading community housing provider. Ongoing policy reviews, risk management activities and governance improvements have strengthened organisational accountability and positioned WHC to support future growth with confidence.
During the year, we strengthened partnerships across the corporate and media sectors through the A Safe Home Changes Everything campaign, which significantly expanded awareness of women’s homelessness and housing insecurity. Through this campaign, Kaimera united support from across the media industry, securing media and professional expertise to amplify awareness of women’s homelessness and housing insecurity. This partnership significantly expanded WHC’s reach, increased community awareness and strengthened our capacity to advocate for safe and affordable housing for women.
Against a backdrop of rising costs, Women’s Housing Company delivered a strong financial performance.
We continue to seek more efficient ways to delivery housing services. Our modest surpluses go straight back to acquiring new properties and improving social and affordable housing delivery for low- and moderate-income households.
In FY2025-26 we reinvested surplus funds as contributions for property acquisitions and towards upgrades for technology transformation or service delivery improvements.
The following investment in properties and service delivery enhancements included:
A sense of purpose can be transformative. Through the Women’s Housing Company’s Purposeful Pathways program, women facing a range of personal, social and economic barriers are supported to build confidence, develop new skills and pursue education, employment and volunteering opportunities that help them achieve their goals. Arpita, WHC’s Purposeful Pathways Coordinator, works alongside women everyday […]
When Miranda first walked into Women’s Housing Company for her initial appointment, she shared a simple but powerful concern: “I think I want to work, but I’m scared about how to start.” Although she had always embraced opportunities with passion and dedication, Miranda carried the weight of a negative past work experience that had shaken […]
What starts as a simple craft session at Liverpool Women’s Health Centre often becomes the first step towards something much bigger for Women’s Housing Company tenants. Funded by Women’s Housing Company and hosted at Liverpool Women’s Health Centre, a weekly craft group provides a welcoming space where women can build confidence, form friendships and access […]
