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A week in the life of… a housing support officer
Sara Dunnet works on ForHousing’s Delayed Transfer of Care project, which helps people live independently after stays at mental health services or supported housing. Sara helps them to identify their aspirations, creates support plans and helps them when they move
Monday
I’m working from home so I log on and review my appointments for the week and plan ahead. We then have a team meeting and talk through our caseloads, priorities for individuals and any concerns.
Between our team, we support individuals with complex mental health issues, care leavers and rough sleepers to settle into their homes and take the steps towards a more positive future. I’m pleased to update the team that one of the people I’m working with will move into their new place this week.
Tuesday
Tuesday is my non-working day. So I spend time with my two grown-up children and catch up on life admin.
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Wednesday
I’ve been building up to this day with tenant David* for a long time: it’s moving day. It’s a happy day, but it can also be very overwhelming, so I give David a call first thing.
Seeing the smile on his face as he turns the key in his front door is like nothing else. I spend the next few hours helping David unpack and move furniture into position. He also signs the tenancy agreement.
I tell him how proud I am of him.
I then go to meet Tony*. He has been in hospital for more than 12 years due to his mental ill health. I’ve been working with him for three months and he has made incredible progress in that time. We both agree he is ready to live independently with the right support. We talk about where he might want to live and what he thinks he might need to achieve his personal goals.
Thursday
I work on a plan for Tony based on the notes I took when I met him the day before. It’s important to break things down into small, manageable tasks so that Tony doesn’t feel pushed into doing too much. I also book him a GP appointment and review whether he’s getting all the benefits he is eligible for.
Friday
I start the morning with some important and fascinating training on dual diagnosis. It makes me think about the many people we have supported who have been experiencing mental ill health and addiction issues at the same time. It’s not possible to treat one without addressing the other, and I come away from the training feeling more knowledgeable about how to support people.
I then have virtual catch-ups with two tenants. After, I type up my notes and reply to a couple of emails before logging off for the week.
*Names have been changed
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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