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From the frontline – Stephanie Weaver
Stephanie Weaver, welfare reform officer at Bournville Village Trust, talks about helping people with their finances and recalls the time she was a ‘big pink blob’
Tell us about your job.
I help people who are struggling to pay their rent and other essential household bills. This can be in a wide variety of ways and not necessarily just people who are on benefits. It’s not as simple as looking at someone’s income – it’s delving deeply to see exactly why they are in hardship and trying to help to relieve this.
How did you get into housing?
I actually wanted a job in housing after graduating from university. I strongly believe that good housing gives people a good start in life. My first role in housing was within Bournville Village Trust’s community team, then the anti-social behaviour team, and now I work in welfare reform – so I’ve had some varied roles.
What is the best part of your job?
Helping people with their finances and seeing them turn things around. The things I come across often appear to me as a ‘simple fix’ and it worries me that without that little bit of help or guidance, people’s lives could quite quickly become unmanageable.
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What’s the worst?
In housing we are dealing with real people, not facts and figures. Everything we do affects not only a tenant’s life but also their family.
Tenants have to want to help themselves and the worst part is when people refuse to engage with me or other staff and we can see things spiralling out of control.
What would you change about the housing sector?
I think we are going through a huge period of change for social housing. So I’d like to fast forward 10 years and have a sneak peek at how things look, particularly with the benefit system and Universal Credit, then I’d be able to say what I would change now.
What’s the first thing you’d do if you became prime minister?
I would first ensure that the 1% rent reduction is stopped after this year. Then I would turn my attention to the homelessness agenda and the ‘hidden homeless’.
I would build more social housing, but also do more to help people sustain their tenancies.
And I would ensure there is more movement of people from temporary to permanent housing.
What’s the most private thing you’d be willing to admit to your colleagues?
When I first came to Bournville, I was the community team mascot known as ‘Bournville Bob’. I was essentially a big pink ‘blob’ with arms and legs that got up to a variety of things. Most colleagues know this but many of my friends don’t and don’t believe me until they see evidence.
