In this interview, John McLean, Chief Executive of Radius Housing is interviewed by Gerard van Bortel – Assistant Professor at the Delft University of Technology, about Radius Housing and their recent merger. Below you will find the video interview, and the topics that are discussed are explained under the video.
The lesson topics will grant you access to more in-depth information: the full interview summary, and an extensive study of the background of social housing in Ireland and the current climate.
Discussed topics
First, Radius Housing is discussed and the context is set out. Then, the governance is explained. Radius Housing is a limited company with charitable status. The company is run by voluntary board members, supported by several different subcommittees. There is a special focus on care and support housing, for which Radius Housing works together with their partners. This is on a large array of topics, from learning disabilities to ex-offenders.
Next, there is a deep dive in the 2017 merger which formed Radius Housing. The trajectory of the merger is discussed over the years, together with the major benefits and the lessons learned. The biggest benefit is the new and fresh staff, who together have a bigger capacity to perform the goals of the company. The biggest challenge had been to align all business parts and make all the different departments a coherent whole. On this last aspect, the intensive preplanning done beforehand has saved the company a lot of issues.
John McLean finishes the interview by stating the future goals of Radius Housing, and that we should not forget to learn from smaller organisations. Bigger is not always better.
This educational interview was made in collaboration between EFL (European Federation for Living), Delft University of Technology, and Radius Housing. Special thanks to John McLean, Gerard van Bortel, Anita Blessing, Ben Pluijmen, Joost Nieuwenhuijzen, Dylan Besten and Lisa Kappers.