Stevie McLachlan: River Clyde Homes celebrates being shortlisted six times by CIH Scotland

Stevie McLachlan

I am delighted to confirm that River Clyde Homes has been shortlisted for the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland Housing Awards 2025, in an outstanding six categories - the highest number of nominations we have ever received in one year. 

Securing any place on the shortlist is a massive accomplishment and a genuine cause for celebration. This is a brilliant achievement and is a direct result of the work being undertaken by our dedicated teams on a daily basis. 

Each of these nominations stands as evidence of the hard work, passion, dedication, and innovation that define the River Clyde Homes values, and reflects the effort which, often behind the scenes, makes such a significant difference to our customers and the Inverclyde community we serve. 

This year, the CIH Awards committee received more nominations than ever before, and the standard of applications was exceptionally high. This speaks volumes about the positive level of work and dedication being put in right across the length and breadth of Scotland’s housing sector; and by extension this clearly demonstrates that our commitment to our core value of ‘excellent services’ and our drive to make a positive difference in our communities are being recognised at a national level. 

Our Shortlisted Categories 

Given the competition, we are proud to have been shortlisted for the following:

• Working in Partnership: Our work with the Scottish Refugee Council on the successful integration of New Scots into the local community has been recognised. This highlights the fantastic collaborative effort and dedication of the team involved.
• Team of the Year: The Voids Team have been nominated for their outstanding work in fundamentally redefining the process involved with managing and preparing our vacant properties for new tenants.
• Apprentice of the Year: We are thrilled that Riordan Mason is in the running for this prestigious individual award. His dedication to his professional development and contribution to RCH is truly inspiring.
• Excellence in Health & Wellbeing: Our Financial Wellbeing Team has been recognised for their vital support services. The River Clyde Homes Financial Wellbeing Team plays a vital role in providing financial support and assistance to our tenants, and the wider Inverclyde community. Supporting our customers with their financial literacy, stability, and resilience, the team offers a comprehensive range of services designed to support individuals to manage their money effectively and better understand their economic circumstances
• Young Achiever in Housing: Congratulations to Mia Smith, who has been shortlisted in this category. More than her role-based achievements, Mia has become an integral part of the Customer Experience Team. She supports colleagues, mentors new staff, and consistently goes above and beyond to deliver for our customers.
• Excellence in Housing Innovation: Finally, our Communications Team’s ongoing work in revamping the organisation’s corporate branding and marketing strategy has earned a nomination, acknowledging the innovative thinking and modern approach they have brought to our Communications output, both internal and external. 

Moving Forward 

Being shortlisted six times is an unprecedented success for River Clyde Homes and offers us the opportunity to reflect on the high quality of services we provide. I want to extend my personal thanks to every single member of RCH Group for their contributions - this recognition belongs to us all. 

We look forward with excitement to the awards ceremony and wish all our shortlisted colleagues and teams the very best of luck!