Building AI Confidence Across a Housing Organisation
Practical AI awareness turning staff insight into safe, actionable opportunities.
Services
About the project
Grampian Housing Association wanted to explore how generative AI could responsibly support colleagues across the organisation, while addressing understandable concerns around data protection, risk and appropriate use. Prior to the programme, AI use was low and inconsistent, with uncertainty about which tools were approved, how they could be used safely, and where real value might lie in day‑to‑day roles.
Altair was commissioned to design and deliver an AI Awareness Programme grounded in the realities of social housing. Six interactive training sessions, each attended by 15 to 20 delegates, were delivered to a broad cross‑section of colleagues, spanning field‑based repairs and maintenance staff, customer service teams, operational leads and Heads of Service. The sessions focused on practical, low‑risk use cases, such as drafting communications, summarising information and reducing administrative burden, alongside clear guidance on boundaries, ethics and human‑in‑the‑loop decision‑making.
The programme combined live demonstrations, facilitated discussions, surveys and hands‑on activities to build both understanding and confidence in the use of AI. Outputs included a tailored AI agent to create efficiencies when completing the annual assurance return, a tailored Co-pilot Prompt Library, an AI Awareness Insight Report and a structured AI Opportunities Register capturing staff‑led ideas. Together, these outputs provided Grampian with a clear, evidence‑based foundation for prioritising pilots and progressing AI adoption safely and transparently.
Results
The programme significantly improved confidence, understanding and readiness to engage with AI. Post session feedback showed stronger awareness of safe and responsible AI use, high perceived value and demand for practical resources. Staff insights were also translated into a prioritised pipeline of low risk, high value opportunities aligned with organisational priorities.
Key results:
- 6 training sessions delivered: Organisation‑wide reach across operational and leadership roles.
- Improved confidence: Majority reporting “quite” or “very confident” post‑training.
- Opportunities identified: Staff‑led AI backlog for governance‑led prioritisation.
We engaged Altair to support the Association in relation to how it might better exploit the use of AI in the delivery of our objectives in a more effective and efficient manner. Led by Lauren Trevelyan, Altair led a series of workshops which saw the participation staff across the organisation, helping through this participative approach to dispel myths and fears that may be held and critically get ideas from staff for how AI could help them on a daily basis. Altair brought their sector understanding combined to strong technical knowledge to see the commission delivered to a high standard and on time.Malcolm McNeil – Depute Chief Executive, Grampian Housing Association
