Employment coordinator: “I can see my clients’ potential, but they can’t see it themselves.”
I work across supported housing schemes in Trafford, Greater Manchester, helping people classed as “hard to reach”, some of whom have problems with drugs and mental health issues. My job is to get them engaged with the local community and into education, training or work. It’s very much a hand-holding role. I was kicked out of school at 14 and classed as an outcast but managed to get back into education. That’s why I’m passionate about tackling social justice.
There are challenges around working with the most hard to reach. You have to start by knocking on doors. It is frustrating when they don’t answer, but there is nothing better than seeing someone make that initial step. I can see my clients’ potential, but they can’t see it themselves. It is really rewarding when they start to recognise that and their self-esteem starts to grow.
– Roman Dibden, 19, employment and training coordinator, Great Place Housing Group, Manchester
Director of business development: “Dementia is a massive agenda.”
I’ve worked in housing my whole career. I thought it diverse when I started, but the range of roles you can do now is massive. For a lot of housing associations, business development is about building new homes; my job is more about diversification and focusing on emerging agendas, such as health and wellbeing.
I’m a big fan of linking housing with other services, which makes my role quite outward-looking. It’s about creating new partnerships and working with a range of different organisations. Dementia is a massive agenda and we are doing a lot of work on older people’s accommodation, and trying to address problems in the NHS and social care funding. It’s difficult, but we are making headway.
– Chris Smith, director of business development, Thirteen Group, Middlesbrough
Board member: “I can see how economic decisions affect people’s lives.”
Joining a housing association board has politicised me again. I can see how economic and social decisions affect the standard of people’s lives. Good governance doesn’t just come from people who see board membership as part of their resume and it’s not just about figures on a piece of paper. The decisions that boards make affect people’s lives.
I find it useful to see both sides. There are still difficult decisions to make, such as increasing rent, and as a resident I know why organisations need to increase their rents, but also what that means in pounds and pence.
– Carol Williams, 50, board member, Sadeh Lok Housing Group, Huddersfield
Skills manager: “When you first meet some clients they won’t make eye contact.”
I head up an employment and skills team of five people, offering information, advice and guidance. We help unemployed people who want to change their jobs, or part-time employees who want to increase their hours. One of the best things about my job is seeing young people flourish – when you first meet some clients they won’t even make eye contact with you.
Aspire gives me the freedom to develop services as I see fit. Having a free run allows me to anticipate the barriers and develop services to overcome them. Getting transport to work is a massive issue, so we are looking at projects to provide scooters and bikes.
– Nina Walker, 36, employment and skills manager, Aspire Group, Newcastle-under-Lyme
Community engagement project manager: “I get job satisfaction from helping just one person out of difficulty.”
I look after financial inclusion and fuel poverty. When I began working at Riverside nine years ago there was a resurgence of regeneration. Now it’s a different world – people are struggling to make ends meet. It is particularly challenging with welfare reforms. People are in work, but on benefits; low-income wages haven’t risen and energy bills have gone up 50% in the past decade.
We try to help our residents maximise income, but some have to make hard choices. I like working for an organisation with social aims. That is what I’m about. I see the difference we make and get immense job satisfaction from knowing we have helped just one person out of difficulty.
– Stephen Chapman, 32, community engagement project manager, Riverside, Liverpool
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