A week in the life of… a temporary supported accommodation key worker

Tuesday

Today we welcomed two of our local police community support officers to drop in and meet our children and young people. They brought some activities for the children, and everyone had a great time.

Later in the day I attended our weekly co-design group. This is an opportunity for customers to design, modify and have a say on the services we deliver. It is a valued service within Jigsaw Support and has given us some great feedback and insight.

So far, our customers have reviewed house rules, policy and procedures and service standards, as well as made some great suggestions for service improvement that we have gone on to implement. 

Wednesday

This morning I attended an initial well-being consultation with Sarah, who fled domestic violence and recently gained residency in the UK. We met with one of Jigsaw Support’s well-being navigators, who provide additional customer-led support to help people with their needs. This can be anything from improving confidence and self-esteem, managing physical and mental health needs, and sign-posting and supporting access to relevant services.

In the afternoon I ran the IT hub in our residents’ room, where we provide support to help residents develop IT skills. This includes help with job search, support to bid on properties and general IT queries.

Today I helped Dave complete a council tax change of address and helped Jane search for a dentist in the local area. 

Thursday

It was an exciting day today as we held our summer social at the Ashton site, where we have a residents’ room and garden space for activities and events. All temporary supported accommodation residents were invited for food and entertainment, and some of the children entered our very own talent show.

The sun shone (one of the rare sunny days this summer) and a great time was had by all. 

Friday

This morning I collected a baby package from a local charity that provides a lot of items to help our young families. The bundle included a pram, Moses basket, baby bath, swinging chair and clothes. I delivered this to the young couple who had just had their first baby, who were delighted with the donation.

They have recently left temporary supported accommodation for a permanent tenancy and we discussed and developed their move-on plan. I will continue to support them for eight weeks in their own home to help them settle in. 

If they need further support, we can refer them to Jigsaw’s tenancy sustainment team where they are offered up to six months’ assistance to manage their tenancy and ensure a smooth transition. 

Finally, I reflected on the week and planned for the week ahead. I love the variety of my role and all the different people I meet. I feel lucky to have a job that brings me so much joy while supporting people to move forward with their lives.

*Name has been changed