Services Cleaning, Domestic, Hiring, Property and Rescue Services

Interpersonal Skills For Social Housing Communication Training

SAQA US 117745 | NQF 4 | Credits 8 | Duration 5 Days
From $1,242 per delegate

Description

This course equips social housing professionals with essential interpersonal communication skills to foster constructive relationships with tenants, colleagues, and stakeholders. Participants will learn to navigate sensitive conversations, resolve conflicts, and promote inclusive communication within the social housing environment.

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply active listening techniques to understand tenant concerns and respond empathetically.
  • Analyze communication styles and adapt approaches to diverse cultural and social contexts.
  • Evaluate conflict situations and implement de-escalation strategies to resolve disputes.
  • Demonstrate assertive communication to set boundaries while maintaining respect.
  • Design inclusive communication strategies that accommodate tenants with special needs.
  • Implement feedback mechanisms to improve interpersonal interactions and service delivery.

Target Audience

Social housing practitioners, housing officers, property managers, and frontline staff who interact with tenants and stakeholders in the social housing sector.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment.

Course Outline

Day 1: Foundations of Interpersonal Communication in Social Housing

Objectives:
• Understand the role of interpersonal communication in social housing contexts.
• Identify key communication models and their relevance to tenant and stakeholder interactions.
• Recognise barriers to effective communication in diverse communities.
• Apply active listening skills to build rapport and trust.

Topics:
• Introduction to interpersonal communication: definitions and importance.
• Communication models (e.g., Shannon-Weaver, transactional model).
• Barriers to communication: cultural, language, and socio-economic factors.
• Active listening techniques: paraphrasing, reflecting, and questioning.
• The impact of non-verbal communication: body language, tone, and space.
• Overview of social housing environment: tenants, landlords, and community dynamics.

Day 2: Effective Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication

Objectives:
• Develop clear and assertive verbal communication skills.
• Analyse the role of non-verbal cues in conveying messages.
• Adapt communication styles for different audiences (e.g., tenants, colleagues, external partners).
• Practice giving and receiving constructive feedback.

Topics:
• Verbal communication: clarity, tone, and word choice.
• Assertiveness vs. aggression vs. passivity.
• Non-verbal communication: eye contact, gestures, posture, and facial expressions.
• Adapting communication style to audience needs.
• Giving and receiving feedback: the SBI (Situation-Behaviour-Impact) model.
• Role-play exercises: tenant meetings and conflict scenarios.

Day 3: Conflict Resolution and Difficult Conversations

Objectives:
• Identify common sources of conflict in social housing settings.
• Apply conflict resolution strategies (e.g., collaboration, compromise).
• Manage emotions and de-escalate tense situations.
• Conduct difficult conversations with empathy and professionalism.

Topics:
• Sources of conflict: rent arrears, maintenance issues, neighbour disputes.
• Conflict resolution styles: Thomas-Kilmann model.
• De-escalation techniques: active listening, calm tone, and validation.
• Empathy in communication: understanding tenant perspectives.
• Structuring difficult conversations: preparation, opening, dialogue, and closure.
• Case studies: handling complaints and mediating disputes.

Day 4: Building Relationships and Customer Service Excellence

Objectives:
• Develop strategies for building positive relationships with tenants and stakeholders.
• Apply customer service principles tailored to social housing.
• Use communication to foster community engagement and cooperation.
• Enhance teamwork and collaboration within housing organisations.

Topics:
• Relationship building: trust, respect, and reliability.
• Customer service in social housing: responsiveness and professionalism.
• Community engagement: meetings, newsletters, and feedback mechanisms.
• Team communication: roles, responsibilities, and effective meetings.
• Handling service complaints: the HEAT model (Hear, Empathise, Apologise, Take action).
• Role-play: tenant onboarding and follow-up communication.

Day 5: Integration, Assessment, and Action Planning

Objectives:
• Integrate all communication skills into comprehensive practice.
• Demonstrate competence through simulated scenarios.
• Create a personal action plan for continuous improvement.
• Reflect on learning and apply to real-world social housing challenges.

Topics:
• Review of key concepts and skills from Days 1-4.
• Simulated scenarios: complex tenant interactions and team coordination.
• Assessment: role-play evaluations and feedback.
• Action planning: setting SMART goals for communication improvement.
• Resources for ongoing development: reading, workshops, and peer support.
• Course evaluation and certification.

Practicals

No practicals for this training.

This course is made up of exercises and case studies delivered alongside the theory — no separate practical sessions are required to complete it.

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course and a final summative test at the end.

Daily Exercises — 30%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 30% to the final total.

Final Test — 70%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 70% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 30%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 70%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Daily Average 30% + Final Test 70%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 07 Sep 2026 Fri 11 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 28 Sep 2026 Fri 02 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 19 Oct 2026 Fri 23 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 07 Dec 2026 Fri 11 Dec 2026 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 11 Jan 2027 Fri 15 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 15 Feb 2027 Fri 19 Feb 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 01 Mar 2027 Fri 05 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 08 Mar 2027 Fri 12 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 15 Mar 2027 Fri 19 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 07 Jun 2027 Fri 11 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 28 Jun 2027 Fri 02 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 19 Jul 2027 Fri 23 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 06 Sep 2027 Fri 10 Sep 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 27 Sep 2027 Fri 01 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 18 Oct 2027 Fri 22 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 06 Dec 2027 Fri 10 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 27 Dec 2027 Fri 31 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 17 Jan 2028 Fri 21 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 492 sessions across 26 venues
Start End Venue Season Price Action
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Durban, South Africa Winter 2026 $2,916 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Abu Dhabi, UAE Winter 2026 $5,238 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Pretoria, South Africa Winter 2026 $1,863 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Dubai, UAE Winter 2026 $5,238 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Cape Town, South Africa Winter 2026 $3,078 Register
In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 14 Sep 2026 Fri 18 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 05 Oct 2026 Fri 09 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 26 Oct 2026 Fri 30 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 14 Dec 2026 Fri 18 Dec 2026 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 18 Jan 2027 Fri 22 Jan 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 22 Feb 2027 Fri 26 Feb 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 08 Mar 2027 Fri 12 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 15 Mar 2027 Fri 19 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 22 Mar 2027 Fri 26 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 14 Jun 2027 Fri 18 Jun 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 05 Jul 2027 Fri 09 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 26 Jul 2027 Fri 30 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 13 Sep 2027 Fri 17 Sep 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 04 Oct 2027 Fri 08 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 25 Oct 2027 Fri 29 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 13 Dec 2027 Fri 17 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 03 Jan 2028 Fri 07 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 24 Jan 2028 Fri 28 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

View Sessions & Register Get A Quote Download Course Brochure
Have an account?

Sign in to track your applications and manage your cart.

Related Courses

Other Services courses at NQF level 4 learners on this page also viewed.

Browse the full Services category for services training programmes.
GET A QUOTE / APPLY COURSE CATALOGUE