1 Sep 2025
As a registered charity, Acis Group is fortunate to be guided by a voluntary board of trustees who dedicate their time, expertise, and passion to supporting the growth and wellbeing of the communities it serves. Among them, Kath Smart has played a pivotal role. Since first joining Acis Group as an independent committee member in 2016 and later becoming Chair of the Board, Kath has been a driving force behind many of the organisation’s successes. Her leadership, insight, and unwavering commitment have helped Acis Group make a meaningful difference in the lives of its customers and communities. As Kath prepares to step down in September 2025, Acis Group takes this opportunity to reflect on her remarkable contribution and express its deepest gratitude.
Joining Acis Group and the Board
Kath joined Acis Group nine years ago as an independent committee member on the Audit and Risk Committee, bringing her background as an accountant with expertise in risk and governance. Although she hadn’t previously worked with a social housing provider, she was drawn to Acis’s values-driven approach and its clear commitment to supporting communities.
Having spent a year on the audit and risk committee, Kath was encouraged by the progress made during her first year and decide to apply for the position of board member. The role was advertised with a job description, and Kath applied with a CV and covering letter explaining how her skills matched the requirements and why she wanted to contribute to Acis. She was then interviewed by the then Chair, Mike; Deputy Chair, Graham; CEO, Greg; and Head of Legal and Governance, Catherine.
Kath recalled the moment she found out she had been successful in her application to become a board member “I remember ringing Greg (CEO) to ask him about the outcome because I was going on holiday the next day and wanted some certainty, so I wasn’t thinking about it when I was away. Greg said, “You’ve done really well, you’ve got it!”. Kath, Ronan 0’Hara and Paul Satchwell were all appointed at the same time.
Highlights from her time as Chair
“The work myself, the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and Greg put into the regulatory inspection back in 2023. I had only been chair eight months and in hindsight it was a massive learning curve to do the research and preparation for this. ELT were brilliant with the evidence that supported our story, and we achieved a G1 which is the top governance grading. We’re not doing things to satisfy the regulator; we’re doing them, so the good rating allows us to continue with the wider work we’re doing. I learned about asset management plans, EPC plans, as well as all our governance arrangements, as we all wanted to give a good impression of our organisation.”
Kath also expressed her pride at being nominated for board/committee member of the year at Women in Housing Awards which took place in June 2025.
The role of Chair
Kath emphasised that her biggest responsibility as Chair was ensuring strong governance and compliance, always with a focus on treating customers fairly. She saw her role as empowering the Board to both support and challenge the executive team where needed.
Discussing what it takes to be a great chair, Kath said “Your engagement, interest, commitment and understanding of what a good board and governance looks like. The role of the chair of the board requires all of these, you have experts around you that help with you with this. We’ve got several board members with over 35 years' experience in housing so why wouldn’t I lean on their expertise. The board is a team just like any other team and you need different backgrounds, experience and diversity.”
Kath highlighted her strengths in attention to detail and strategic thinking, and she reflected on the clear distinction between the roles of Chair and CEO: the Board sets the direction, manages risk, and oversees performance, while the executive team implements the strategy. Task wise, Kath ensures we have a fit and proper board with the right knowledge and skills. Kath’s role included performance management, updates, insurances, chairing meetings, overseeing board succession planning, complying with the code of governance and plenty more!
Acis Group Development
“When I joined, we were more of a good performing organisation with a traditional housing offer. We wanted the best for customers; Greg joined around the same time as me and things have changed significantly since then. Bringing repairs in-house, acquiring Clip and Riverside, and now Skills Centre Plus are taking us in more of a community direction.”
There has been plenty of growth too, Kath is proud to have witnessed this transformation into a broader community-focused organisation.
Challenges in Housing
Kath reflected on national challenges like the Grenfell tragedy and the Rochdale investigation, both of which brought increased scrutiny and legislative changes to the sector, particularly around issues like damp and mould. “We responded well to the damp and mould issues; we’ve had to change things to respond to what’s happened in the sector even if we haven’t been as affected as significantly as other London and city based landlords have been.”
She acknowledged the importance of ensuring compliance and meeting the expectations of regulators, customers, and the communities Acis serves.
Kath highlighted the importance of two-way communication with customers, noting initiatives like Your Voice and My Acis, supported by the Customer Service Centre and Neighbourhoods team, which have helped strengthen engagement.
Projects and Partnerships
Kath spoke fondly of the incredible talent within Acis, from the Board, ELT and JLT (Joint Leadership Team) to the many team members she’s worked with on event days and Experience It Days.
“I feel privileged to have worked on some nice projects, judging the garden heroes has been enjoyable. I’ve always valued and enjoyed interactions when I’ve visited customers and joined the repairs team or antisocial behaviour team. I went and painted some benches at one of our sheltered housing schemes and tenants helped us with some planting. The love your street sessions where we helped tidy up communal environments and filled up skips. Conferences, meet the board sessions, and getting to know people has been enjoyable.
Advice for anyone joining a Board like Acis
Kath learned a great deal from her predecessor and valued the advice she received from the former Chair, Mike, who encouraged her to “be yourself.” She found that her values-driven approach aligned well with Acis’s ethos, and she’s proud of what’s been achieved together.
Her advice to future Board members or Chairs is to set high expectations and a focus on values.
What’s next for Kath?
Kath will continue her work on the Board of Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Trust, where she has been involved for the past two years. She’s also excited to remain involved in social housing, having joined the Board of another social housing provider in Bradford, where she looks forward to bringing her skills and experience to a new context.
Thank You
From everyone at Acis Group, we express our heartfelt thanks to Kath for her support these last nine years, and for the difference she has helped us to make. We wish Kath the very best for the future.