Thirteen Housing

At a glance

Organisation: Thirteen Housing Group
Sector: Housing
Employees: 1,600 across the North-East, Yorkshire & Humber
Homes: Provides over 100,000 people with homes, support and opportunities to grow

Key outcomes

A single source of truth replacing scattered policies, forms & updates
Frontline colleagues feel better equipped and more confident
Major reduction in duplication and confusion for managers
80% activation reached in the first month, earlier than expected
Stronger organisational culture built on clarity, transparency and connection

Thirteen Housing Group
Creating a Single, Confident Source of Truth

The Challenge
Thirteen Group struggled with fragmented information. Policies lived in old folders, forms were stored in multiple places, and important updates were often shared once and then buried. For frontline colleagues working across homes, communities and care settings, this meant wasted time and inconsistent guidance.

"Work Networks really gave us the foundation we needed to launch successfully. They made sure we were doing things the right way from the start, which was critical for Thirteen. Their support was both practical and reassuring."

Katherine Dunning, Communications Specialist, Thirteen Group

Why Thirteen Chose Work Networks

1. Reassurance in a noisy market

With numerous intranet and communication tools available, Thirteen needed clarity. Work Networks’ deep specialist knowledge reassured the team that they weren’t missing anything and were evaluating options effectively.

2. Full visibility of the market

Thirteen considered six possible platforms and, with Work Networks’ help, narrowed this down to Viva Engage, Workvivo and Blink. This included options they hadn’t originally considered.

3. Questions and insights they wouldn’t have known to ask

Work Networks brought considerations from other clients that helped Thirteen understand each platform’s limitations and opportunities.

4. Access to hard‑to‑get demos

Seeing demos in action allowed Thirteen to verify what each platform could genuinely deliver. By understanding the differences between platforms, stakeholders gained deep insight into the evaluation and best fit for their requirements.

5. Support to secure cross‑functional buy‑in

Work Networks equipped comms, IT and HR with the insight they needed to feel confident in the decision, ensuring organisation-wide alignment.

A Platform Colleagues Actually Use

Despite initial scepticism about moving away from Workplace, Thirteen hit an 80% activation target within the first month, a major indicator that colleagues trusted the new platform enough to engage immediately.

Transforming Information Flow With Pages

Using Workvivo Pages, Thirteen created a structured home for all essential content: policies, safety updates, HR forms, wellbeing resources and operational guidance. Information that once took time, or guesswork, to locate is now instantly accessible from any device.

The impact:

Frontline teams feel more confident and better equipped
Managers can consistently signpost colleagues to the right resources
Confusion and duplication have significantly reduced
The organisation now has a clear, reliable source of truth.

“The standout benefit was Work Networks’ deep, specialist knowledge. The reassurance we felt came directly from their expertise, and we’ve not come across anyone else who operates at that level in such a niche area.”

Katherine Dunning, Communications Specialist, Thirteen Group

Cultural Impact

Thirteen is heavily values-driven. The new platform strengthens cultural connection by helping colleagues stay informed, see how others live the organisation’s values, and feel more connected, even when working remotely or on the frontline.

What’s Next for Thirteen

Thirteen will focus on deepening positive engagement, building inclusive communication for frontline teams, and strengthening value‑based storytelling across the organisation.