Who is Sustain UK?

Founded in 2009, Sustain UK Ltd is a specialist social landlord based in Birmingham, providing housing and support across the city to vulnerable people, many of whom are under the threat of homelessness.

Many of Sustain’s residents have serious mental health issues, learning difficulties, or are recovering from alcohol and drug dependency.

Although Sustain does not own its own housing stock, it is responsible for managing and maintaining the quality of the accommodation and support provided to its 1,800 residents.

Big challenges

When Ian MacGregor took up the post of Chief Executive in 2021, he faced a number of internal and external challenges, not least the fact that Birmingham’s supported housing market had a very poor reputation among the media, other stakeholders and residents.

This perception was driven by a number of unscrupulous organisations, and even some criminal groups, who were controlling pockets of supported housing, heaping misery on residents and the surrounding communities.

This situation for Sustain was exacerbated because the organisation was noncompliant with the Regulator of Social Housing in two historic areas relating to the organisation’s past governance.

How Frontier PR helped

Due to the focus on Birmingham as an example of negligent or criminal controlled exempt housing in the UK, all the larger supported housing providers in the city were under media scrutiny.

However, due to its noncompliance with the Regulator, Sustain was an easy target for the media as an example of what was going wrong.

Frontier PR’s first step was to properly manage the frequent and very challenging flow of media requests to Sustain.

These would often comprise anything up to a dozen separate questions, some of which were legitimate, while others were based on inaccurate rumour or even false information.

All media enquiries had to be taken seriously and reviewed in detail, but it was key that Frontier PR identify the questions that genuinely related to Sustain, such as its noncompliance, and explain to journalists that this issue had no bearing on the quality of the organisation’s accommodation or support services.

In this way we were able to create blue water between Sustain and the problems caused by other providers who were negligent and dragging down the reputation of the entire sector.

To ensure the media only used the answers that were specific to Sustain, Frontier drafted concise and focused responses, while also reinforcing the positive changes Sustain was making to operations, standards and updated governance in response to challenges on the ground in Birmingham.

Due to this open and honest dialogue with the media, we were able to start to turn around Sustain’s reputation.

Because Frontier PR had built relationships and credibility with key journalists, Ian and Sustain were than able to take a more positive and proactive approach to media relations, helping to create an even better perception of the organisation.

This included a critical examination of the supported housing market and comment on the Supported Housing Act, important legislation progressing through Parliament. 

Finally, Sustain’s position was strong enough for Frontier PR to establish the organisation’s first social media presence, using LinkedIn to help keep key stakeholders such as Birmingham City Council and the Regulator of Social Housing up to date on new developments and progress.

The result

Frontier PR proved its value by identifying false information in stories that would otherwise have damaged the organisation, such as homes and residents inaccurately linked to Sustain UK, through dialogue with journalists.

Professional, timely and measured responses began to separate Sustain from the true instigators of industry malpractice and chaos, so the organisation could gradually rebuild its reputation, positioning Ian and his team as an honest and credible source of information and comment.

Over the first 18-months the level of media interest in Sustain began to reduce and shifted from negative attacks to seeking clarification, and then increasing requests for comment on wider issues, presenting Sustain as a thought-leader.

Frontier PR was able to become proactive and secured significant positive media coverage for Sustain, including the cover story in Housing Executive Magazine, in which Ian MacGregor offered his expert appraisal of the industry, the challenges it faces and how it must change.

We also secured Ian a key opportunity to comment in Inside Housing on the day the Supported Housing Bill became an Act.

Frontier PR also interviewed the people at the heart of Sustain, including key staff and residents, who were able to share their stories, and begin to bring to life what differentiated Sustain from other operators causing so much damage across Birmingham.

In 2023, Sustain began to publish resident stories, heartfelt personal accounts of the trauma of homelessness and addiction, and the importance of a safe and comfortable home in bringing stability and hope to their lives.

If you’d like to talk to Frontier PR about this housing PR campaign, or require similar support to Sustain UK email david@frontierpr.co.uk or call 07939 137 098 - or download Frontier PR’s latest brochure for social housing below.

frontier_pr_social_housing_brochure_2024.pdf