Case Study: Head of Social Impact Recruitment | RE:GEN Group
We partnered with RE:GEN Group, a regeneration business working to enhance the lives of people living in social housing, recruit their Head of Social Impact.
RE:GEN Group is a regeneration business working to enhance the lives of people living in social housing communities across the UK. Alongside delivering refurbishment, retrofit and new-build projects, the organisation is committed to creating social value and driving inclusive economic growth. To support its expansion, RE:GEN sought to appoint its first Head of Social Impact, a senior leader responsible for shaping a group-wide strategy, elevating the organisation’s external influence and ensuring social impact is embedded across all operations and RE:GEN Academy. This leadership role was key in supporting RE:GEN aligning commercial growth with its values-led mission to create long-term, meaningful change.
Context.
As RE:GEN scaled across new geographies and client partnerships, the organisation saw the need for a more strategic, visible and coordinated approach to social impact. Expectations around social value, inclusion, skills development and ESG were intensifying across the housing and construction sectors. RE:GEN already had strong foundations, particularly through RE:GEN Academy, but required a leader who could bring cohesion, clarity and direction. The Head of Social Impact would combine purpose and growth, working with senior leaders to shape the business’s voice nationally, influence policy and ensure every aspect of regeneration activity contributed to long-term community benefit.
Brief.
The brief called for a strategic, values-led leader capable of setting a forward-looking social impact strategy while influencing senior stakeholders inside and outside the organisation. The successful candidate needed to embody RE:GEN’s values and work collaboratively within a fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment. Through close consultation with the Executive Director of Strategy and the CEO, we built a process that reflected RE:GEN’s ambitions, its commitment to inclusive growth and the opportunity to define a national approach to social impact within a regeneration business. Our search focused on leaders with experience in social impact, regeneration, policy, higher education, cultural organisations and cross-sector partnerships. We prioritised candidates who demonstrated thoughtfulness, humility and a genuine commitment to improving outcomes for people and places. The process attracted a diverse and highly credible group of applicants motivated by purpose, community impact and system change.
Outcome.
RE:GEN appointed Rachel Smith, a seasoned social impact and cultural leader with deep experience working across higher education, the cultural sector and the non-profit landscape. Her values aligned closely with RE:GEN and the consistency she demonstrated in roles centred on improving lives, strengthening communities and shaping inclusive growth. Her background reflected an ability to lead strategically while staying close to people, partnerships and place-based impact. She brought experience working across sectors, influencing senior stakeholders, shaping organisational purpose and connecting community insight with long-term strategy. Rachel also offered early-career familiarity with the built environment and regeneration context, alongside meaningful governance experience through her trustee roles. Rachel proved to be a thoughtful, grounded and purpose-driven leader, and her appointment gave the organisation a credible, strategic and people-centred Head of Social Impact with the vision and integrity needed to guide the next chapter of its impact.
Category: Case studies
Consultant in charge
Clare Chesworth
Head of Social Justice
Clare Chesworth is Head of Social Justice at Peridot Partners. She brings extensive experience in recruitment, HR, and employability across diverse sectors, including events, education, and social justice. Over her recruitment career, she has honed invaluable skills such as active listening, building strong relationships, and fostering collaboration to deliver meaningful outcomes for clients and candidates consistently.
With a passion for supporting marginalised communities, Clare focuses particularly on improving employment opportunities for individuals with additional needs. Before joining Peridot, she designed and led a post-16 provision at a SEN school, preparing young people with autism for apprenticeships and employment. Her dedication to equality, diversity and inclusion has driven her throughout her career, both in her work and as a school governor.
At Peridot, Clare's focus has expanded to working with organisations tackling complex social issues like homelessness and housing. She has led high-profile recruitment campaigns for leadership roles at charities such as Caudwell Children, Society of St James, and YMCA Downslink, always striving to place the right people in roles where they can make a lasting impact.
Outside of work, Clare is deeply involved in her local community and enjoys theatre, cooking for loved ones, and cheering on her sons at rugby matches. Friendly and approachable, she combines her professional expertise with a genuine care for people and their potential.
