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A week in the life of… a community housing co-ordinator
Alan Davies works on the frontline at housing association Adra, supporting people across the Bangor and Ogwen areas of North Wales. Alan has worked in community housing for 16 years and is responsible for tenancy management issues such as anti-social behaviour, as well as tackling crime committed across county lines in partnership with North Wales Police and key stakeholders
Monday
I start my week by reviewing CCTV for any activities in blocks that I consider to be problematic. We’ve invested in technology enabling us to view CCTV footage remotely at 90% of our schemes, including communal areas. There’s nothing to report – it seems that every block was quiet over the weekend.
I then have our weekly online community action partnership meeting, working collaboratively with housing providers alongside North Wales Police, discussing all problem areas and anti-social behaviour (ASB) cases the police have dealt with over the past week.
The hard work of my team in disturbing and reducing the impact of county lines crime in our communities has been so rewarding.
One of the best parts of my job is helping those in need of our services in their neighbourhoods, addressing any concerns they may have – ultimately making them feel safer in their homes and communities.
Tuesday
I have online hoarding training in the morning until 1pm with Hoarding UK. I’ve developed a strong partnership with the fire service and always try to emphasise to tenants the fire risks associated with hoarding.
In the afternoon I have a phone call with the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders (NARCO) about a former tenant. This person ended a tenancy in 2018 having been imprisoned, but has since got his life back in order and wants to be considered for re-housing in the area. As a general rule, we will not block a tenant from being offered a new tenancy, but we do ask that support is in place to help them sustain it.
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Wednesday
In the morning I review two cases where tenants did not want to make official complaints of ASB, in fear of repercussions. It is decided that we pursue a managed move, in order to protect them from further harm. I liaise with our allocations team and agree on a way forward in those cases – to find alternative accommodation for them.
I update case notes for the rest of the morning. I’m then invited to attend a case conference call to discuss ongoing concerns and the possibility of additional support to a tenant who appears to be struggling to maintain order at home.
Thursday
On the housing management side, we work with mental health centres within different areas of Gwynedd.
I have a Zoom meeting with the health visitors team in Bangor. This is to discuss their clients who are tenants of Adra, to listen to their concerns and to identify support we can put in place for them.
Later, I review CCTV after a concern that non-residents are entering a block and going in to properties to steal clothes and food. I make arrangements for the front-door locks to be changed on one property to secure it.
Friday
The end of the week can be a time to catch up on emails from colleagues, police officers and other agencies, update case notes and plan for the following week. I also call our community wardens to check on progress and anything I should be aware of over the weekend.
Do you know an outstanding professional who deserves to be featured? Email jess.mccabe@insidehousing.co.uk with your suggestions
A week in the life series
Our ‘A week in the life’ series features housing professionals talking through what they do in their job on a day-to-day basis.
Find out about the different challenges housing workers in a variety of roles face in a given week.
We aim to feature staff from housing associations, ALMOs, local authorities and more.
Click here to nominate yourself or a colleague for inclusion
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