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A week in the life of… a data compliance and reporting officer
Catalyst’s Dipak Umeria has a busy week preparing for a virtual audit
Monday
My role means I’m often in regular contact with Homes England and the Greater London Authority (GLA), making sure we’re processing any grant claims quickly and keeping people up to date on new homes. This week is no different, and I start the day making a new claim for a site in Harrow.
It’s audit time, and this year Catalyst has five developments selected by Homes England and the GLA. I’ve got a busy week ahead!
Tuesday
I’ve blocked out my diary so that I can focus on making sure we are ready for the auditors. I’ve spent my morning speaking with the development managers for the schemes, requesting some missing information and making sure our auditors will be able to follow the timeline for each of the projects.
By the end of the day, all the information has been collected and all of the documents have been uploaded, ready for reviewing by the external auditor. I’ve got my fingers crossed the audits go well – with everyone working from home, it can be hard to co-ordinate and make sure you get the right information from the teams across the business.
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Wednesday
Today, I went to our offices in Ealing to collect audit files and scan papers to prepare for the virtual audit. I’ve been working at home for so long that this feels like an adventure. Catalyst has put a lot of work into making the office safe.
At lunchtime, I take part in a live virtual yoga session put on by Catalyst. It’s a chance to relax and unwind.
After the session, I have an afternoon full of virtual meetings: some one-on-one time with my director about the audit preparations, followed by a catch-up on our fire safety programme. This meeting is particularly important,
as I can now submit a grant funding application for one of our remediation projects that’s already started on site.
Thursday
Today is the day and it’s a 9am kick-off time for the audit. I’ve done so many audits but it feels so strange to have to do it virtually.
Several queries from the auditors come through over the course of the day; the first relates to clarification of dates for when a scheme started. Another query requires a catch-up with the development manager to discuss total scheme costs across a new development – complicated due to the size of this project – and ensuring there is a clear audit trail so we can show the project complies with the capital funding guidance from Homes England.
Friday
Today is a chance to conquer my to-do list and support colleagues on development schemes and ensure that they adhere to the guidance for grant claims.
Working from home during this pandemic has made me realise how much I appreciate my work, and working for Catalyst.
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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