ao link
Twitter
Facebook
Linked In
Twitter
Facebook
Linked In

You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles

From the frontline - Alison Clarke

Alison Clarke, neighbourhood manager at Eastend Homes, talks about the importance of remaining calm

Linked InTwitterFacebookeCard
Sharelines

From the frontline - Alison Clarke

Tell us about your job

I’m a neighbourhood manager at Eastend Homes.

With a team of nine staff I manage all aspects of housing for more than 1,400 homes.

This involves visiting tenants; overseeing repairs; managing complaints; attending estate boards, management meetings and community events; and – very importantly – managing the staff.

Days are varied, busy and no two days are ever the same.

How did you get into housing?

I started when I was 17 years old in a housing advisory role at the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

I still remember my first day quite clearly.

There was a long queue of people waiting to be seen and it was very noisy. I felt quite nervous about the number of people and was worried about how we’d speak to everyone.

Luckily for me, I was part of a great team who gave me a lot of support and I quickly realised helping residents brought me a lot of job satisfaction.


READ MORE

From the frontline - Jean FletcherFrom the frontline - Jean Fletcher
From the frontline - Kara HughesFrom the frontline - Kara Hughes
From the frontline - Nayab ButtFrom the frontline - Nayab Butt
From the frontline - Stacey RobertsFrom the frontline - Stacey Roberts

What’s the best part of your job?

I love working with people and helping residents. When a resident walks away happy, it makes me feel like I’ve achieved something.

It’s a nice feeling that has stuck with me throughout my career, and it’s what has kept me in housing.

And the worst part?

I’ve lived in London all my life and worked in housing for 30 years, and the current homelessness situation saddens me.

What would you change about the sector?

I’d empower the sector with funding to build more genuinely affordable homes for all.

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

I’d give Prime Minister’s Questions a miss and spend the day on the frontline as a housing officer so the prime minister and government could directly experience what is really going on for people and understand just how important social housing is.

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

We share most things. But I don’t think they know I’m a keen painter and I can’t wait to get started on a blank canvas with my new oil paints.

What advice would you give to someone just starting out in housing?

I’ve got three tips that have worked well for me over the years. They are: always be open and willing to see a resident; listen to what a person has to say; and be patient and calm.

Linked InTwitterFacebookeCard
Add New Comment
You must be logged in to comment.