Working in housing is not just about the bricks and mortar
This year’s Scottish Housing Day is focused on ‘careers in housing’. Most people think that a career in housing is focused on the repairs and upkeep of the properties, whereas it is so much more.
Careers span a wide range of roles from housing officers, housing assistants, housing advice officers, tenant participation officers, anti-social behaviour officers, neighbourhood officers and tenant arrears officers and more. The focus of individuals who work in housing are about making a positive difference to the lives of people living in their communities by providing them with a good standard of home and safe community in which to live.
One of the most rewarding elements of working in housing is engaging with lots of different individuals – from vulnerable and elderly people to individuals living with many daily challenges. The role of the housing officer is to find the best solutions for these individuals and ensuring they are listening to the needs and challenges of their tenants. With that in mind, housing roles require a particular set of skills, knowledge and values, and it is vital that those working in the sector work to acquire these, and to keep them up to date. The TP Certificatefrom TPAS Scotland is an excellent qualification for housing officers to develop a knowledge and understanding of tenant participation and community development.
Eveline Armour, Development and Delivery Manager at TPAS Scotland said, “At TPAS Scotland we work with individuals in different roles across housing, from Board Members, to CEOs to tenant participation officers. Our role is to ensure we support them to empower their tenants to take an active role in looking after their own home. Housing is a great sector to work in. There are many different types of roles, requiring different skills, knowledge and experience and individuals working in the sector find it truly rewarding. I have recently moved from working as a Lead Engagement Advisor with Home Group for six years where I was responsible for running customer involvement across six local authority areas from Dundee to Dumfries. I’ve have also worked with tenants at Almond, Edinvar and Castlerock Housing Associations supporting scrutiny, consultations, new build projects, planned works and more. I’m excited about the opportunity in TPAS Scotland as I can see how important our role is in ensuring the individuals working in housing are supported and have the knowledge and skills necessary to do their jobs”.
Louise McNeilage, Tenant and Community Engagement Facilitator at Scottish Borders Housing Association said, “I have worked in housing for over 7 years and the best thing for me about the sector is the people. Whether it’s the brilliant colleagues I’m lucky to work with, or the dedicated Tenants of the Scottish Borders Tenants Organisation (SBTO) who support us to help improve services by engaging with us on a regular basis. We work very closely with SBTO – we meet every month to look at SBHA’s policies, strategies, initiatives and much more! It’s a real team effort and we work in partnership to ensure all Tenants’ voices are heard.”
TPAS Scotland is fully embracing this year’s Scottish Housing Day. We will be running video vlogs on social media with colleagues talking about their careers in housing. We are also running a free webinar on 13thSeptember from 2 – 3pm featuring training experts SHARE who will be talking about training opportunities for career development, specifically within social housing. We will also hear from TPAS Associate Helen Barton who will share an update on the Tenant Participation Certificate and how this can add value to those interested in a career in tenant participation.
Sign up now on the TPAS website.