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From the frontline – Janice Clements
Janice Clements, health and well-being officer at Brunelcare, explains how she thinks the UK is lagging behind other European countries
Tell us about your job.
My role is one of our most innovative and was recently introduced. My key focus is essentially supporting our sheltered tenants and their families when they are admitted to hospital or their health needs change.
Our sheltered housing tenants are people over the age of 55 renting flats and living independently, they have the support of our housing and property teams.
How did you get into housing?
I used to work in the travel industry and then eight years ago I fancied a complete change. At the time, I had been supporting my father and it occurred to me that working as a carer might suit. I applied to join Brunelcare and worked as a community carer.
I did this for one year before moving into a housing site officer role within the company.
My current role was funded in its first year as part of a pilot scheme by Bristol City Council, after it had been identified that associations are sometimes held back supporting their tenants due to lack of awareness of tenants being admitted to hospital. By building relationships with the health professionals we were able to facilitate a smooth discharge. In just over one year, my role had been made permanent by Brunelcare.
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What is the best part of your job?
The constant face-to-face contact I have with people.
What’s the worst part?
It can be frustrating ‘getting the wheels to turn’ within the social and health care system. People working in the system are fantastic but the system itself isn’t very joined-up.
What would you change about the housing sector?
I’d like to see the sector find a way to provide more, and improved, housing for older people. I feel the UK is lagging behind other European countries such as the Netherlands and parts of Scandinavia. I also see better examples in the US, where there is a better range of housing available within the same development.
If you could be prime minister for the day, what would you do?
I would give everyone the day off, and they would have to spend the day litter-picking to give the UK a good tidy-up.
What’s the most private thing you’re willing to admit to your colleagues?
I’m a seasoned traveller – I love it and don’t normally suffer any form of travel sickness. However, on one flight – a special flight on Concorde, no less – I was very sick on take-off which slightly ruined the occasion!
