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The sector must find a way of managing in the impending coronavirus chaos
As the sector grapples with the impact of COVID-19, Sinead Butters reflects on what it means for her housing association
I’m working from home, which I’m sure will be a familiar experience for many of us.
But I’m making the best of it: lighting a fire, walking the dog, planning meals that take more prep than usual. Hoovering and putting the washing on before 7am.
Deciding what to wear and whether to put my make-up on. We might have a FaceTime meeting. Definitely need to dress.
To think about what we will wish we had known in six months’ time. Trying to prevent bad things from happening.
Gosh, that’s a big ask. I’m just a small, flawed human being and I can’t pre-empt what’s coming.
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I am just trying. We all are. I always find more brains than one (especially mine!) a useful thing, and no more so than now. It’s amazing how, when we all pull together, we can improve what we would have achieved, exponentially.
It is like that with our business continuity team. Every single thing we can possibly plan for is being considered. A buzzing team of experts in their fields spotting the things the rest of us haven’t.
These are strange times, aren’t they? When we were all looking another way – focusing on Brexit, or the Budget, or the latest housing policy – along came COVID-19 and now we are focused on something completely unexpected.
At Aspire, we are trying to stay well for as long as possible, so we have already begun expanding our normal practice of agility, by working from home more.
We are acutely aware that our average housing customer is older and that many of our tenants are over 70 years old and rely on our support. We have to find a way of managing in the impending chaos.
Others might disagree, but by not travelling unless necessary, holding meetings with large numbers of people, or being in the office with others when you don’t have to be are all important small things. And these are within a business continuity plan as long as your arm.
As we work out how to run a people business, delivering services to thousands, during a pandemic, I truly believe we are all stretching our brains to make sure we have thought of everything. Of course, we haven’t, but we want to minimise what we miss.
“We are acutely aware that our average housing customer is older and that many of our tenants are over 70 years old and rely on our support”
We need to protect our people.
We need to deliver emergency services, and we need to support those vulnerable and isolated without putting them at risk. In short, we must work miracles.
We will be there for our customers and learners. We are community-based landlords, and businesses driven by social purpose.
What does it mean if we don’t do our very best to help people who may be alone, isolated and suffering?
There are times when we look back and see that key decisions and actions we took really did make a difference. That we were right and that we got through it, with empathy and grace. I sincerely hope that time will come.
Must get my face on – got a virtual meeting to go to. But before then, let’s take the dogs out.
Sinead Butters, chief executive, Aspire
