Caridon Group named Employer of the Year at the Housing Heroes Awards 2026
Caridon Group has been named Employer of the Year, Wider Sector, at the Housing Heroes Awards 2026. The winners were announced at Manchester Central on the opening day of Housing 2026.
Frontline housing work carries burnout, compassion fatigue and a turnover rate that few sectors match. Caridon's entry led with one number. Retention across the group rose from 92.94% to 97.56% over twelve months, and everything sitting underneath that figure is a voluntary commitment.
Caridon does not use zero-hours contracts. The group pays the Real Living Wage and the London Living Wage at every site. All 170 employees receive five days of annual leave above statutory entitlement, paid sick leave, life cover and a death in service benefit.
The group holds Mental Health First Aid Champion status, with seven certified Mental Health First Aiders across the team. Through its partnership with HealthShield, every employee has a confidential Employee Assistance Programme, a 24/7 helpline and the Thrive Mental Wellbeing App. Where a colleague needs in-person counselling, HR arranges it and the company funds it in full. Staff who support residents through homelessness, domestic abuse and financial crisis carry the weight of that work home, and the provision is built to meet it.
The Eloomi CPD platform launched in 2024 across Caridon's three main divisions. When a colleague identifies a course or qualification they want to pursue, the group funds the training and provides the equipment without delay. In the 2024 engagement survey, 70% of staff confirmed they had taken part in training or development in the previous year, and the same proportion said the company's values align with their own. Caridon Connect, the intranet launched in September 2024, keeps the group's four locations connected through public shoutouts to colleagues, quizzes and competitions.
In its published citation, Inside Housing said the retention figure reflects 17 years of deliberate, consistent investment in the people who do the work. The judging panel said: "A really strong, values-led employer submission with compelling evidence on fair pay, well-being and retention. One of the most authentic people-first entries in the field."
Caridon's people strategy is led by Jennifer Carrozzo, who became Joint Group Managing Director alongside Lora Bencheikh seven months ago. It follows the principle founder Mario Carrozzo set in 2009, that fair treatment of staff is the foundation everything else is built on.
Jennifer Carrozzo, Joint Group Managing Director of Caridon Group, said: "A retention rate of 97.56% comes from deliberate decisions about pay, leave, mental health support and training. Our teams work alongside residents facing homelessness, domestic abuse and financial crisis, and getting the environment right for them is the first responsibility we have as an employer. This award belongs to a loyal and dedicated team who are grafting every day to make Caridon the best it can be, and I am proud of what we have built together."
The award was one of five Caridon shortlistings across the Women in Housing Awards and the Housing Heroes Awards 2026. Jennifer Carrozzo and James Ferrar were both shortlisted for Inspirational Leader of the Year, Wider Sector, Lora Bencheikh for Innovator of the Year, and the Property Team for Team of the Year, Up to 10,000 Homes.
The Housing Heroes Awards are run by Inside Housing. The Employer of the Year, Wider Sector category was judged by Clare Miller, chief executive of Clarion, Tom de Pass, director of communications at Homes England, and Amy Shaw, partner at Addleshaw Goddard.
Caridon has supported more than 10,000 people since 2009. The quality of that support starts with the environment the group builds for the 170 people who deliver it.
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Caridon Group named Employer of the Year at the Housing Heroes Awards 2026
Caridon Group has been named Employer of the Year, Wider Sector, at the Housing Heroes Awards 2026. The winners were announced at Manchester Central on the opening day of Housing 2026.
Frontline housing work carries burnout, compassion fatigue and a turnover rate that few sectors match. Caridon's entry led with one number. Retention across the group rose from 92.94% to 97.56% over twelve months, and everything sitting underneath that figure is a voluntary commitment.
Caridon does not use zero-hours contracts. The group pays the Real Living Wage and the London Living Wage at every site. All 170 employees receive five days of annual leave above statutory entitlement, paid sick leave, life cover and a death in service benefit.
The group holds Mental Health First Aid Champion status, with seven certified Mental Health First Aiders across the team. Through its partnership with HealthShield, every employee has a confidential Employee Assistance Programme, a 24/7 helpline and the Thrive Mental Wellbeing App. Where a colleague needs in-person counselling, HR arranges it and the company funds it in full. Staff who support residents through homelessness, domestic abuse and financial crisis carry the weight of that work home, and the provision is built to meet it.
The Eloomi CPD platform launched in 2024 across Caridon's three main divisions. When a colleague identifies a course or qualification they want to pursue, the group funds the training and provides the equipment without delay. In the 2024 engagement survey, 70% of staff confirmed they had taken part in training or development in the previous year, and the same proportion said the company's values align with their own. Caridon Connect, the intranet launched in September 2024, keeps the group's four locations connected through public shoutouts to colleagues, quizzes and competitions.
In its published citation, Inside Housing said the retention figure reflects 17 years of deliberate, consistent investment in the people who do the work. The judging panel said: "A really strong, values-led employer submission with compelling evidence on fair pay, well-being and retention. One of the most authentic people-first entries in the field."
Caridon's people strategy is led by Jennifer Carrozzo, who became Joint Group Managing Director alongside Lora Bencheikh seven months ago. It follows the principle founder Mario Carrozzo set in 2009, that fair treatment of staff is the foundation everything else is built on.
Jennifer Carrozzo, Joint Group Managing Director of Caridon Group, said: "A retention rate of 97.56% comes from deliberate decisions about pay, leave, mental health support and training. Our teams work alongside residents facing homelessness, domestic abuse and financial crisis, and getting the environment right for them is the first responsibility we have as an employer. This award belongs to a loyal and dedicated team who are grafting every day to make Caridon the best it can be, and I am proud of what we have built together."
The award was one of five Caridon shortlistings across the Women in Housing Awards and the Housing Heroes Awards 2026. Jennifer Carrozzo and James Ferrar were both shortlisted for Inspirational Leader of the Year, Wider Sector, Lora Bencheikh for Innovator of the Year, and the Property Team for Team of the Year, Up to 10,000 Homes.
The Housing Heroes Awards are run by Inside Housing. The Employer of the Year, Wider Sector category was judged by Clare Miller, chief executive of Clarion, Tom de Pass, director of communications at Homes England, and Amy Shaw, partner at Addleshaw Goddard.
Caridon has supported more than 10,000 people since 2009. The quality of that support starts with the environment the group builds for the 170 people who deliver it.
