ao link
Twitter
Facebook
Linked In
Twitter
Facebook
Linked In

You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles

A week in the life… of a housing officer

As the lockdown continues to press pause on business as usual, Raj Garcha talks us through how her week has progressed. Ms Garcha is a housing officer for Sanctuary Housing, based in West Bromwich 

Linked InTwitterFacebookeCard
Raj has not been able to get out and about to meet residents
Raj has not been able to get out and about to meet residents
Sharelines

As lockdown continues, Raj Garcha a housing officer for @HelloSanctuary, talks us through her week #ukhousing

“I am no longer out visiting people on my patch,” says Raj Garcha of @HelloSanctuary as she talks us through her working week #ukhousing

Monday

Since the government advice to work from home, one major element of my job has changed – the face-to-face conversations with residents. I am no longer out visiting people on my patch but instead contacting them via phone calls and emails.

I am also writing a lot more letters and today has been no different, particularly around tenancy references because I am not able to physically visit a property.

Each housing officer has been assigned specific residents over the age of 70 to carry out regular welfare checks during these difficult times.
I use the calls to check on their well-being and provide a reassuring voice, while also checking they have essential items, including food.

It’s so important to stay connected and it’s great to have these uplifting conversations, which not only raise the residents’ spirits, but mine, too.

Tuesday

While working from home is not completely alien to me, I’m not used to having my husband, who is also working from home, and two children around me during the day.

I am juggling my work tasks with home schooling and I have established a schedule for them, which today started with a Joe Wicks workout followed by some maths, history and geography.

With them occupied, I was able to take part in an important conference call with a social worker regarding the welfare of a resident so we could put an action plan in place for them.


READ MORE

Frontline housing staff deserve applause, tooFrontline housing staff deserve applause, too

Wednesday

Ensuring the safety and well-being of our residents is the top priority, and this includes taking measures such as the closure of communal areas within schemes.

It’s sad to see people not being able to meet their friends and neighbours but it’s vital that they protect themselves.

Some residents are finding it harder than others to accept the new restrictions on their lives and I am trying wherever I can to impress upon them that this has come from the government and not Sanctuary.

Thursday

I made more keeping-in-touch calls with residents today, including one in Telford, which is not usually on my patch. I am getting to know new residents at the moment and finding out how I can support them.

One part of this is recording important information about their health and if they have shown any symptoms of COVID-19.

During a call today one resident told me that they were self-isolating – this information was recorded and shared with other teams to make them aware should they have contact with the resident.

Friday

Part of my job is ensuring that I am up to date with all the latest processes around compliance, for example with fire testing.

This is done through e-learning courses, so I am able to keep on top of any changes from home.

I have also been using my time to stay in touch with colleagues through calls and virtual tea breaks, as well as reading the great work taking place in communities in our weekly Sanctuary newsletter – including the launch of a new food parcel delivery service, which is ensuring essentials are delivered to our most vulnerable residents.

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

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

A week in the life of… a damp, mould and condensation officer – featuring Andy Sherritt at South Yorkshire Housing Association

A week in the life of… Kensington and Chelsea’s Rough Sleeper Dual Diagnosis Service – featuring Gavin Stewart and Charlotte Northall

A week in the life of… a money guidance officer – featuring Debbie Woodcock at Clarion

A week in the life of… a part-time social prescribing link worker – featuring Dawn Perry at WHG

A week in the life of… a transitions and implementation lead – featuring James Brown at Places for People Living Plus

A week in the life of… a tenancy support manager – featuring Jackie Bird at Community Gateway Association

A week in the life of… a head of asset management – featuring Zoe Carmichael at Alpha Living

A week in the life of… an environmental sustainability manager – featuring Alice Lovatt at Sanctuary 

A week in the life of… a housing support manager – featuring Sara Dunnet at ForHousing

A week in the life of… a place-shaping manager – featuring Sarah Smith at Vivid Plus

A week in the life of… a part-time work planner – featuring Siwan Hammond at WHG

A week in the life of… a marketing communications customer lead – featuring Leah Thompson at Thrive

A week in the life of… a housing co-ordinator – featuring Sharon Chambers at Sovereign

A week in the life of… a senior community partnerships manager – featuring Brian Hamlin at The Guinness Partnership

A week in the life of… an asset compliance team leader – featuring Emily Elsworth at Longhurst Group

A week in the life of… a business continuity manager – featuring Chloe Fox at Abri

A week in the life of… an employment advisor – featuring Vanessa Loveridge at A2Dominion

A week in the life of… a housing association surveyor – featuring Andy Davies at Thrive Homes
A week in the life of… a youth support worker – featuring Treaser Jassal at Poplar Harca

A week in the life of… a head of community and housing-related support – featuring Daniel Revell-Wiseman at Longhurst

A week in the life of… a building safety manager – featuring Lisa Leather at Trafford Housing Trust

A week in the life of… a forensic mental health service manager – featuring Camille Lapaix at Look Ahead

A week in the life of… a communities apprentice – featuring Alex Perrin at Clarion Futures

A week in the life of… a supported housing officer – featuring Tamara Suppria at Housing Solutions 

A week in the life of… a senior occupational therapist – featuring Gemma Carr at Grand Union Housing Group

A week in the life of… a concierge officer – featuring Tyrone Wilson at Citizen

A week in the life of… a policy and practice officer – featuring Hannah Keilloh at the Chartered Institute of Housing

A week in the life of... a delivery manager – featuring Rebecca Bewick at Gentoo

A week in the life of… a fire safety project officer – featuring Victor Liburd at BPHA

A week in the life of… a ‘HomelessWise’ information co-ordinator – featuring Fiona McCarthy at St Mungo’s

A week in the life of… a national property development manager – featuring Heidi Fisher at Housing 21

A week in the life of… an apprentice electrician – featuring Selda Ponari at Bournville Village Trust

Linked InTwitterFacebookeCard
Add New Comment
You must be logged in to comment.