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From the frontline - Laura Derbyshire

Laura Derbyshire, neighbourhood officer at Salix Homes, talks about over-sharing and tackling complex cases

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From the frontline - Laura Derbyshire of @Salixhomes #ukhousing

Tell us about your job

My role covers letting properties (from advertising, taking pictures, to showing them to prospective tenants), to tenancy management, estate management, tackling anti-social behaviour, and supporting customers.

Some days I’m a shoulder to cry on, others I’m issuing warnings for bad behaviour. In a nutshell, I guess I play mum to the occupants of 650 properties.

How did you get into housing?

I had been working as a money advisor at the University of Salford, when a similar role came up at Salix Homes about five years ago. I was part of that team for several years providing financial advice and support to our customers, which I loved. But then an opportunity came up to be a neighbourhood officer.


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What’s the best part of your job?

I just love the variety and I love what the job has taught me about myself.

I like some of the complex cases, which involve working with the police, health workers and the council to help achieve something for our tenants.

And the worst part?

I’ve been in a number of situations which will stick with me for life. While it only applies to a very small minority of the people I support, I think seeing what some humans are capable of doing to one another is incredibly distressing.

What would you change about the housing sector?

In short, I’d build more homes. The housing crisis is well documented, but I’m living it every day. There’s 6,500 people on the housing waiting list in Salford, sadly many of which will probably never get a home unless something changes soon.

If you could be prime minister for the day, what would you do?

Tackling homelessness would be high on my agenda, but I’d need more than a day to sort it all out.

In one day, I’d plough more funding into the NHS, police and other support services, particularly the smaller and underfunded organisations and charities like those that help the LGBT community and victims of domestic violence, or those that provide respite for carers.

What’s the most private thing you’re willing to admit to your colleagues?

I am a total over-sharer, but something not many people know is that I’m writing a book about my day-to-day experiences working in housing. It’s almost a therapy book and won’t see the light of day, but it helps process some of the things I have to deal with.

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