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From the frontline – regional financial inclusion manager Leanne Seasman
Leanne Seasman, regional financial inclusion manager at Regenda, on why growing up in social housing has given her an appreciation of the importance of her job
What does your job involve?
I manage a team of rent and money advice officers who support customers who are struggling to maximise their income and reduce their rent arrears. A lot of my time is spent guiding people in their cases and finding solutions to the issues we’re faced with in the new world of income collection following welfare reform.
How did you get into housing?
I started working as a housing assistant straight after university and saw that as a temporary job while I looked for a role in the criminal justice field, as this is what my degree is in. However, I really enjoyed the job I had and once I saw the different opportunities within housing I knew it was a sector I could build a career in. I’ve worked in lettings, tenancy enforcement, tenancy support and now rent collection, and each role has taught me something new.
What’s the best part of your job?
I engage with our customers at the point of approving eviction requests. The best part is when I can save a tenancy from failing. Customers can be afraid to talk to their rent collection team and I often receive positive feedback from our customers about the difference we’ve made to their lives and about how they now know we’re not just about enforcement but that we’re here to help them.
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And the worst part?
Seeing the impact of cuts to vital services such as floating support services. We get access to people’s everyday lives and see the support needs they have and it frustrates me how these services are disappearing. So many people need support to be able to manage, and I have definitely seen the levels of poverty that people live in go up in the past 13 years of working in social housing.
If you were prime minister for a day, what would you do?
Invest more in our children’s education. We should provide funding for teaching the real-life skills they will need, as the young people of today are the workforce of the future. We should be teaching them how to budget and readying them for the world of work.
What’s the most private thing you’d be willing to admit to your colleagues?
I grew up in social housing and times were really hard. When our local social landlord told us we were at the top of the waiting list for a house it was such a life-changing event for my family. It’s easy to underestimate the role we play as social landlords, but without that support at a time when we really needed it, my life would have turned out very differently.
