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From the frontline - Tom Whittaker
EMH care and support engagement and communities operations manager Tom Whittaker tells Inside Housing about the challenges and rewards of working with some of the sector’s most vulnerable residents
What does your job involve?
My job focuses on engaging residents who have learning difficulties or physical disabilities, and consulting with them on topics such as the accessibility of our housing or future services we can develop which will enable independence.
How did you get into housing?
I started in my early 20s by volunteering at a day service for people with learning difficulties and realised this was an invisible community. Since then, I’ve wanted to find ways to improve lives and ensure these people have access to the same housing and services as the rest of us.
What would you change about the sector if you could?
I’d like the sector to move away from a caring role. We should be facilitating disabled people to be independent, with access to the same rights, including housing, as non-disabled people. Too often, their only options are shared or supported housing. These don’t always provide the choice and control people need, for example being able to pick who provides their care or who they live with.
What’s the best thing about your job?
Forming trusting relationships with people. The people I work with are facing real challenges and I enjoy listening to what they want and working to change services.
And the most challenging?
It’s frustrating how services are affected by the current political and economic environment. Austerity is playing out in cuts to services, welfare benefits and entitlements to care and support, which is creating a difficult time for a lot of people.
What does a good day look like?
When a service user or resident tells me that things are going well for them, or when they surprise someone by surpassing their own or others expectations. People can achieve so much, and are always ready to share their triumphs with you.
How about a bad day?
The complete reverse. Change happens slowly and, consequently, if people feel they don’t have access to opportunities they start to lose hope and become stuck in a rut. And that’s always hard to see.
How do you like to unwind after a day at work?
With three young children I don’t do enough unwinding – but given a chance a quick beer, a long bath and then bed is nice!
If you could have a superpower what would it be?
I’d time travel to the 22nd century to see what’s going on.
