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From the frontline - Angela Harrison
Angela Harrison on what life is like as a manager at a homelessness hostel in North Wales
What does your job involve?
I work for a charity called Local Solutions. We deliver a wide range of services to people across the North of England and North Wales. My job involves managing a project that provides temporary accommodation and support services for up to 23 homeless families in North Wales.
How did you get into housing?
In my younger years I worked in children’s residential care. However I wanted to pursue a career working with homeless people and I have now worked in this particular sector since 2009. I simply cannot believe that we still have homeless people in this day and age.
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What does a good day look like?
A good day is seeing a family leave the project to move in to their own accommodation in the community, equipped with increased confidence and the skills to enable them to successfully manage their own tenancies.
How about a bad one?
A bad day usually follows a bad night. Thankfully they are few and far between.
What would you change about the sector if you could?
I would like to increase the accessibility and affordability of housing for everyone.
What’s the best thing about your job?
The best thing about my job is working with such a dedicated team on our project and knowing that we are making a real difference to homeless families in Flintshire.
Since April 2015, every single one of the 41 families we’ve worked with have moved on in a positive way. None of them have re-presented as homeless within the first 12 months of their tenancy.
It’s a great feeling knowing that these families are sustaining their tenancies.
And the most challenging?
I think the most challenging part of the job is the lack of services, especially in relation to mental health. There just aren’t enough.
What is your dream job?
I love music so it would be related to that. I’d either be a DJ or a music producer. Although I can’t sing, unfortunately!
What the most private thing you’d be willing to admit to colleagues?
If I told colleagues something private then it wouldn’t be private, would it?
