Our Group Board

Steve Jennings

Steve’s career in housing began over 40 years ago when he joined the sector straight from school.

Chief executive at Weaver Vale Housing between 2004 and 2017, Steve has over 20 years’ experience in providing leadership in both executive and non-executive roles. His work in this area led to Steve, at the Housing Heroes Awards in 2016, receiving the award for Inspirational Leader of the Year.

Steve’s passion for improving the quality of customers’ lives and organisational excellence has been a fundamental driver throughout his career which he brings now to his role as Chair of the Housing Plus Group.

Catherine Dass

Catherine is an organisational development professional specialising in executive coaching.  She has worked in senior positions in the housing sector for over 17 years assisting them with her extensive experience and skills in HR, learning, employee engagement, performance and business improvement and transformation, governance and compliance, marketing communications and diversity and inclusion. This experience will assist in her role as chair of the people committee, previously the renumeration committee.

Formerly executive director of business improvement at Platform Housing Group, Catherine has a real passion for developing businesses and leadership development. She holds a Fellowship of the CIPD, a Level 7 qualification in executive coaching and mentoring and is she is also MBTI 1 and 2 qualified.   She is a Senior Independent Director of the Housing Plus Group Board and Chair of the People committee.

Catherine is committed to assisting the sector to improve lives for customers as she believes that housing is a fundamental need and one that makes the most significant difference to people’s quality of life, well-being and opportunities.

Andrew Burns

Andrew is a qualified accountant and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) with an MBA from Aston Business School.

Until December 2018, Andrew spent 12 years as Director of Finance and Resources for Staffordshire County Council; was Treasurer of the Staffordshire Pension Fund and a former President of the Society of County Treasurers. Andrew was CIPFA President in 2017/18 serving an Institute with over 14,000 members worldwide.

The institute works throughout the public services, in national audit agencies and major accountancy firms, along with other public bodies where public money needs to be effectively and efficiently managed.

As an Associate Director at CIPFA Andrew’s current role is to develop strong links with local and central government, building trust to improve public financial management and governance.

He is also a trustee of the Centre for Public Scrutiny (CfPS) the leading national organisation promoting and supporting excellence in governance and scrutiny across public services. Andrew is passionate about improving outcomes for customers and communities and believes that good quality affordable housing and care should be accessible to all.

Ian Fleming

An experienced corporate treasurer and accountant operating at a senior management level within banking, retail, regulated industries and FMCG, with a proven track record in corporate financing, treasury operations, financial and management accounting. A skilled manager of people with a commitment and capacity for hard work, coupled with high standards of reliability.

Jason Burt

A lawyer by profession, in 2016 Jason left the legal practice that he had successfully helped to build into a Chambers and Legal 500 listed firm to join Willis Towers Watson as a specialist consultant.  He is now responsible for overseeing the development of a range of regulatory and strategic risk management services for a wide range of national and international clients with specialisms in education and regulatory matters including health and safety and care standards.

Jason is also Group Director of Health and Safety Compliance (having previously served 3 years as a non-executive Director) of Mears PLC where he is chair of the Risk Compliance Committee and a member of the Audit Committee.

With a passion for social enterprises and values, throughout his career Jason has chosen to work with not for profit businesses or businesses that have social values at the core of their operations.  As Chair of the Property Board, Jason looks forward to using his skills and experience for the benefit of Housing Plus Group’s existing and future customers.

Professor Graeme Betts CBE

Graeme is the Corporate Director for Adult Social Care at Birmingham City Council. He has been a Chief Officer and Chief Executive in a variety of roles across local government and the NHS for over 20 years and has also worked for the Local Government Association as a Care and Health Improvement Adviser.  He was the national lead on carers for the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services for some six years.

With extensive experience of leading organisations, implementing national and local strategies and managing major change, Graeme enjoys working with people to drive up performance.  A level 7 qualified executive coach and mentor, he is committed to a coaching style of leadership.

Graeme was awarded his PhD in Social Policy and Social Planning in 1991 and published his book, Local Government and Inequalities in Health, the following year.  He has subsequently published numerous articles on health and social care.

In June 2013, Graeme was awarded an Honorary Professorship from the University of East London in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the advancement of his profession through publications and the development of public policy and services. Graeme was subsequently recognised in the Queen’s New Year Honours in 2020 when he was awarded a CBE for services to adult social care.

At the Housing Plus Group, Graeme looks forward to building on the acknowledged successes of Care Plus and, as its Chair, leading on the expansion and development of the services it provides to some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.

Sarah Boden

Beginning her career as a housing officer, working to ease homelessness, Sarah now has more than 30 years’ housing sector experience. Sarah was chief executive at Severnside for over 10 years, and under her leadership Severnside grew to become a successful, financially strong and diverse organisation.

Sarah was appointed chief executive of the Housing Plus Group in 2016 on merger and reappointed in 2019 following a  second  merger with  SARH, growing Housing Plus Group to provide over 18,000 homes, thriving care and property companies and an ambitious development programme.

She is a member of the Chartered Institute of Housing and the Shropshire Registered Social Landlord Forum.