“A reet exciting future” screams the front page of Yorkshire Housing’s latest business strategy. A playful nod to local accents.

It’s an unconventional title for a corporate document perhaps but the chief executive of the 20,000-home association is hardly one to do things by the usual playbook.

For the uninitiated, Doncaster-born Nick Atkin has long been making headlines in the social housing sector for his innovative approach to the use of digital and other initiatives to improve workplace efficiency and customer service.

From going paperless to attempting to ban internal email, to improving social media engagement, implementing agile working practices and introducing self-service channels for residents, over the years, Atkin has taken a lead in shaking up communications with residents, changing working practices and looking at ways to improve services in the social housing sector.