anchor5 Employee Profiles
We have a wide variety of roles here at North Somerset Housing, from housing management to asset management roles as well as support functions such as HR, IT and Finance.
So to give you a flavour of what we do and what our employees do on a daily basis, a few have written some words about their typical day.
Floating Support Officer
Housing Officer
A day in the Life of a Support Advisor
Where are you based?
Whitesfield Road a Sheltered Housing Scheme in Nailsea
What time do you start work?
Between 0800 – 0830 depending on the Traffic out of Weston!
What is a typical day like for you?
There isn’t a typical day, only a planned morning where certain tasks have to be completed by a certain time. The day for me begins as soon as I open the office door at the Whitesfield Road Scheme when I then become the first point of contact for service users on that site, and generally one or two residents come straight through the door before I even take my coat off to prepare for the day! They may have important issues that have arisen from the previous evening/night or even on- going ones that need escalating, so in this department service delivery starts quickly.
The core part of my planned work begins at 9am when I use an intercom system to call over 50 tenants assuring their safety and welfare. Once this is complete, I then carry out my welfare checks to service users at a scheduled sheltered scheme within the district. This can take a varied amount of time depending on what issues/concerns are raised during these checks. The checks are normally complete by lunch time, when a well deserved sandwich and cuppa normally don’t go amiss!
The afternoon is then generally taken up by various business obligatory tasks concerned with Health & Safety and management functions. This can also include, ensuring that Support Plans are updated, emails are answered or read, time sheets are updated and other paperwork or computer work is completed. If I do get any time to spare, I will then try to think ‘out of the box’ and be innovative towards the service I am delivering and communicate this with the team. The day fly’s by!
What time do you finish?
4.30pm
What are the best bits about your job?
Challenging work! Not having a typical day. Supporting older people and promoting independence. Ultimately to try to make a difference to people lives and make them feel valued.
Why would you recommend NS Housing to someone looking for a job?
I feel part of a developing company which I can help shape. The business has realistic views and expectations in delivering a quality service to its customers.
A Day in the Life of a Floating Support Worker
Where are you based?
A large open plan office at Parkway, Worle with parking available on the doorstep.
What time do you start work?
Between 8.30 and 9.00 (thanks to flexi time)
What is a typical day like for you?
A typical day? Each day is different. I usually try to see three clients per day, this may not sound many but each visit will last up to an hour and a half and you have to add on time for travelling. Today for instance I have been to Portishead to offer advice and support to a family with debt problems, contacting creditors and making repayment agreements, then over to Pill to help a new tenant with resettlement. This includes contacting utility companies and setting up payment plans, completing forms to apply for a Social Fund Loan or Grant, to ensure they are able to furnish their home. Giving advice on services available in the area, for example dentist, doctor, post office etc. Then it’s back to Weston to the Coronation where I have managed to get funding from Somerset Warm and Well for loft insulation and central heating installed with funds from Homefront for an elderly client on Disability Living Allowance who owns their home. At each visit an action plan is completed to show the progress being made for that particular client. On my return to the office I will enter the information on the client database to show what time has been spent with each client as we aim to spend on average 80% of our working week with clients. This includes all travel and admin as well as contact with the client. Somewhere during the day I will find time to grab a sandwich or salad for lunch. Oh, and a chocolate bar!
What time do you finish?
Between 4.30 and 5.00 (again thanks to flexi time)
What are the best bits about your job?
In no particular order………….
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Working with service users from all backgrounds and with a wide variety of issues.
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Being able to make a difference to people’s lives, enabling them to achieve their goals.
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Working as part of a small friendly team who are always willing to offer advice and support to each other.
Why would you recommend North Somerset Housing to someone looking for a job?
You get to work with a great group of people who are always willing to offer support and advice – no appointment necessary!
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A Day in the Life of a Housing Officer
Where are you based?
South Weston Area Housing Office
What time do you start work?
At 8.45am
What is a typical day like for you?
As a member of front-line staff, my first job of the day is to prepare the office for opening. This means turning the tills on and getting the cash out of the safe ready to accept money. I make sure the office is tidy and that we have the necessary paperwork ready for the day ahead, such as receipt cards and housing benefit forms. There is normally a queue waiting when we open the office at 9am and I start to take payments over the counter for rent as well as insurance, rechargeable repairs, court costs and council tax. It can get very busy when taking payments as tenants also often ask us to check the outstanding balance on their rent account or to work out the week it is next due.
A little later one of our tenants asks for help with her housing benefit. She is unsure what weekly entitlement she will receive following a change in circumstances so I phone Liberata, the organisation who regulate this, to find out. We work out she is still due eight weeks housing benefit and when this comes onto her rent account, will leave her with slight arrears. She will need to make an appointment to see her estate manager if she would like to make an arrangement to agree to pay.
Later we have a sign-up – the couple come to collect the keys to look around the property they have been offered to make sure it is suitable for their needs. They return to the office happy to sign the tenancy agreement for their new home so I help them fill out a housing benefit form and the estate manager takes over to complete the sign-up process.
In the afternoon, a gentleman comes into the office enquiring about letting a garage. He has been on the waiting list for one on the Oldmixon Estate and several have just become available so he takes some keys to have a look. A short while later he returns but tells me the garage door handle is broken so I get straight onto the Repairs Hotline who will raise a ticket for the job to be completed. In the meantime, I offer the man another garage, which he is happy to take.
Towards the end of the day, I catch up on some enquiries that I have accumulated during the day such as chasing up repairs, liaising with the estate managers regarding trying to reduce tenants rent arrears as well as creating new tenancies on the system and ensuring all the paperwork regarding our void properties is up to date.
At 4.30pm we close the office doors for the day and begin to cash up the two tills. This process normally takes around half an hour. All of the paperwork we have taken from tenants during the day for Liberata must be bagged up ready to be sent through the internal mail the next day. We ensure the post has been taken to the Post Office and put the cash and cheques into the safe overnight – it’s a real team effort!
What time do you finish?
Normally 5pm
What are the best bits about your job?
Within my job, I try to do the best I can for our customers and it is rewarding knowing you have made a difference to someone’s life. Many residents of social housing need a lot of support and it is nice to know we are there as a first point of call. Teamwork is a big factor in order to ensure the day runs as efficiently as possible and ultimately leave our tenants satisfied.
Why would you recommend North Somerset Housing to someone looking for a job?
As the organisation is a relatively new one, it is an exciting time – we are currently fulfilling our promises made to tenants at the time of transfer. Everyone works very well as a team to ensure our customers are happy.
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