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A week in the life of... a hostel support worker
Social distancing is a struggle at Alt Bank House, the homeless hostel run by Onward, where Mandy Walker is a support worker. She talks through a challenging week of persuading clients to stay safe and helping them access healthcare
Monday
I organised prescriptions for some of the 42 residents who stay in our hostel, Alt Bank House, to make sure they have enough in case they need to self-isolate in one of the self-contained flats.
“One client had been complaining of possible coronavirus symptoms. I found it challenging to get them to self-isolate”
I also phoned my clients to provide support sessions. I reminded them that the GP and nurse are still coming to the hostel twice a week and are able to be see people if they aren’t displaying any coronavirus symptoms.
Tuesday
I had to speak to the Cornerways Medical Centre as one of my clients didn’t receive all of their medication.
They became anxious because they had to wait for one hour and 40 minutes outside the chemist due to the social distancing restrictions and faced having to wait again.
I also spoke to another client who told me they were leaving Alt Bank House and moving in with their new partner, which is a great success.
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Wednesday
One client had been complaining of possible coronavirus symptoms. I found it challenging to get them to self-isolate. I rang 111 to get some advice and they asked me to call the emergency services.
As we were waiting for the paramedics, the person left to go to the shops despite having breathing difficulties. I went to encourage them to return while keeping my distance and wearing personal protective equipment. They were eventually seen by the paramedics and told to self-isolate.
Thursday
I updated all my risk assessments and support plans from home. I also completed assessments over the phone and booked one of my residents out of the hostel.
Friday
Today was my rest day.
Saturday
Today was a long shift for me – I worked for 14 hours.
Customers were continually ignoring social distancing measures and I had to contact the police. They offered advice for implementing social distancing and said they would call into the hostel to support us further if they were in the area.
One person attended Sit Up, an additional service we have for rough sleepers. It’s a room they can use to get something to eat and use the shower and laundry.
I gave them a fob to get in and out as we need to reduce the risk of contact with staff.
When the Sit Up service user left, I placed food supplies in the room for the evening. The service has been extended from evenings only to 24 hours due to concerns around the coronavirus pandemic.
Sunday
One of my clients was really low and his health had deteriorated over recent weeks. I had to contact the emergency services as his health conditions became unmanageable and needed medical attention.
I told his family members and found it difficult to manage this situation with limited face-to-face contact.
It is taking some time to get used to the changes in how we operate, but it has been a great team effort to ensure colleagues and residents stay safe during these times.
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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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