Paul Smith is director of Foundations, the Department for Communities and Local Government-funded national body for home improvement agencies and Disabled Facilities Grants.

Paul joined Foundations in 2015 having previously worked as a senior housing and care commissioner for Staffordshire County Council.

Prior to this he managed two award-winning home improvement agencies for Telford & Wrekin Council and Cannock Chase Council. In these roles he set up home safety, handyperson and health through warmth services as well as a national HIA means-testing model for disabled facilities grant applicants.

Paul is a qualified building surveyor and member of the Chartered Institute of Building. His first job was designing and contract-managing adaptations, including hundreds of level access showers.