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A week in the life of… a community services support officer
Patrick Fleischer-Annang works at Newlon Housing Trust. He talks us through a week of building stronger relationships with residents, speaking at a virtual event about diversity in the sector and training for a charity run
Monday
A significant part of my role is developing and delivering funds for the benefit of Newlon Housing Trust residents in north and east London. Some residents are living through the most difficult time of their lives, so playing a small part in easing their stress has kept me grounded and focused in these chaotic times.
There is a deep-rooted social stigma in asking for help, so it takes a few phone calls for some residents to speak about their hardship. Some blame themselves for their financial hardship. No person should feel like they can’t ask for help, especially in one of the most challenging years in recent memory.
Working from home has helped me build a trusted relationship with residents – it’s given me the space to talk freely about sensitive topics such as coping with the loss of a loved one. Some residents call for a quick chat – it’s nice to know residents feel comfortable calling without a query or crisis.
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Tuesday
I spoke at a virtual event about creating a diverse future in the sector. I have participated in several events, but due to lockdown restrictions I have only spoken to my laptop and cat, Keanu.
We should all continue difficult conversations in the workplace and continue learning about barriers affecting Black, Asian and ethnic minority people. We should continue pushing the sector to reflect the communities we serve from apprentice to senior level.
Before the day ended, I caught up with a few residents who requested support to cover food expenses.
Wednesday
I mainly chased invoices today. But I also took time to reflect on the year the resident services team has had. We acted quickly to set up a well-being project, reaching out to Newlon’s most vulnerable residents.
The team continued our employment, welfare and benefits advice service, our community centres adapted to the virus, the resident involvement strategy was also adapted and our funds supported more residents than ever before. I’m proud of the work done so far and ready for the challenges the rest of the year brings.
Thursday
I received a referral regarding a resident suffering from a hoarding disorder. The resident is engaging but seems wary, he mentioned dealing with a lot of anxiety. My motto is to listen more and speak less when supporting residents. He appreciated the time I took with him and the decant team was pleased to hear we could help.
Friday
Throughout the lockdowns taking time off felt like a waste of annual leave, but thinking like that would have lead to burn-out. So today is my day off. We all need to make more time for ourselves, so please remember to take time off and look after yourself.
Exercising has improved my mental health immensely; running has helped me to disconnect from daily distractions. I’m currently training for ‘The Vitality Big Half’ where I’ll be running for charity Family Fund. Family Fund provides grants and services to low-income families raising disabled or seriously ill children and young people.
Donate to the great charity here.
A week in the life series
Our ‘A week in the life’ series features housing professionals talking through what they do in their job on a day-to-day basis.
Find out about the different challenges housing workers in a variety of roles face in a given week.
We aim to feature staff from housing associations, ALMOs, local authorities and more.
Click here to nominate yourself or a colleague for inclusion
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