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From the frontline - Nichola Tombs
Nichola Tombs, housing officer at Regenda, talks time travel and supporting vulnerable tenants
What does your job involve?
Working on the ground with residents and supporting them in finding suitable new accommodation. There are currently 113 properties due to be demolished, and for many this has been quite distressing as they had lived in their homes all of their lives and had a huge emotional attachment to the properties.
I have had one-to-one sessions with all residents to understand their needs and answer their questions. Being sensitive to each individual’s circumstance allows us to keep families close to one another and move vulnerable residents to more suitable accommodation.
How did you get into housing?
After I left school I started my apprenticeship NVQ Level 2 and 3 in business administration at Wyre Housing Association in Poulton, Lancashire.
I chose housing because it looked interesting and with all the different departments I was confident that I would be able to cover all aspects of the programme.
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What would you change about the sector if you could?
I would make more support services available to vulnerable residents and provide more outreach support for people with mental health problems.
What does a good day look like?
Community days are always good days. These are when we pull the community together and provide a fun-filled day for them and their children.
It’s nice to have a laugh with them out of the normal working day and give them something back.
And a bad one?
Standing out in the cold and rain for hours on end waiting for services to arrive, or ensuring safety in and around a property where there’s been an incident.
What’s the best thing about your job?
This is a tough one as there are so many, but I love making a difference and I love the team I work with.
And the most challenging?
Making decisions that I know will affect people’s lives and futures.
What is your dream job?
To be a florist and have my own flower shop.
What’s the first thing you’d do if you became prime minister?
I’d recognise and reward emergency services staff. We rely on them daily and they are second to none.
What would your superpower be and why?
Time travel, so I could go back in time and meet some interesting famous people from back in the day.
