Get on the ball with our Break out sessions
Breakout Session A1: Reading the Field: Strategic System Thinking
Just like a rugby team scanning the pitch, successful leaders in housing and care must be able to read the wider landscape, anticipate challenges, and move in coordinated alignment. In this breakout session, delegates will explore how frameworks, partnerships, and digital strategies can come together to build resilience and drive system-wide transformation.
Attendees will hear from Alistair Merchant, Head of Commercial at NHC Procurement, who will share how public sector procurement can be repositioned as a strategic tool—not just for compliance, but for innovation. With over a decade of experience in transforming procurement processes, Alistair will explain how the right frameworks can enable flexibility, value, and collaborative progress across sectors.
Also speaking is Charlotte Downing, Membership and Engagement Manager at TSA, who brings a deep understanding of how enabling technology can support people to live independently and with dignity. Charlotte will explore how digital solutions must be rooted in the lived experiences of tenants and service users, and how cross-sector collaboration is vital in delivering outcomes that matter.
This session promises to offer practical insights into aligning vision, strategy, and operations—helping leaders read the field and move forward as a team in today’s fast-evolving digital environment.
Breakout Session A2 – Defending the Net: Cybersecurity, Infrastructure & Digital Resilience
In the high-stakes world of ice hockey, strong defence is essential—and the same is true when it comes to digital infrastructure in housing and care. This session will tackle the critical issue of cyber resilience, with a focus on how executive leaders can protect their organisations from increasing digital threats.
Katie O’Neill, Head of the Cyber Skills Academy at the Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland, will lead this session with insight from her extensive experience in cybercrime education and law enforcement. Having spent 17 years with Police Scotland, Katie is now helping to shape the next generation of cyber-aware leaders through targeted training and strategic advice.
The session will explore:
The evolving nature of cyber threats across the housing and care sectors.
How boards and senior leaders can embed cyber resilience into organisational performance.
Practical steps to strengthen infrastructure, improve response capabilities, and support workforce readiness.
As digital systems become more complex and critical to day-to-day operations, this session will equip leaders to play proactive defence—protecting both data and the people behind it.
Breakout Session A3 – Fast Breaks: Agile Innovation in Action
In basketball, fast breaks change the game—and in public service, agile innovation can do the same. This session will showcase real-world examples of how rapid learning, technology, and data can be combined to drive meaningful and scalable change across housing and health.
Suzie Gallagher, Clinical Lead for Drug Harm Reduction at the Scottish Ambulance Service, will bring frontline insight into how her team is adapting quickly to address the challenges of substance use. With 12 years of experience in the drug and alcohol sector, Suzie’s work focuses on a whole-family approach, partnership working, and using real-time data to respond to emerging needs.
Attendees will gain insights into:
How agile innovation is supporting harm reduction across Scotland.
The value of cross-agency collaboration in responding to complex health and social issues.
The role of data in creating faster, more informed interventions.
This breakout promises to inspire those looking to accelerate progress in their own services—proving that small, smart, and swift innovations can lead to lasting change.
Stay Tuned!
These breakout sessions promise to deliver practical ideas, sector insights, and real energy—whether you’re leading from the boardroom or working on the digital frontlines. Each session connects strategy to service, planning to action, and innovation to impact.
Join us at TEC Housing 2025
If you’re involved in housing, property management, sustainability, or smart buildings, this is a session you won’t want to miss. Drew and Tracey will help you see how digital tools are no longer a future nice-to-have — they’re the foundation for more efficient, responsive, resilient housing.