A day in the life of… a Sheltered Housing Officer

YHN manages around 1,000 properties within 26 sheltered schemes across Newcastle. Each sheltered scheme has a Sheltered Housing Officer on site to offer support and advice to residents to ensure they can continue to live independently within a safe and secure environment.

Sue Bolam is the Sheltered Housing Officer at Margaret Collins House in Byker.

“I’ve worked as a Sheltered Housing Officer for 25 years now – that says how much I enjoy the job!
My job is really rewarding – you can really see the difference you make. The best part of the job is helping everyone who lives here live independently with a quality lifestyle. Many people who move in to sheltered feel they are losing their independence, but how wrong they are! With a bit of support from the appropriate service provider and a little encouragement, they can still make their own decisions and have a range of options available to them, often resulting in them participating in many of the activities within the scheme. It’s a great feeling being part of a team that’s improved someone’s lifestyle.

Margaret Collins House is a really sociable place to live. As well as the activities on site we always plan lots of day trips away through the year, and we have a savings club for our annual holiday which gives the residents something to look forward to. We also link into many of the events in the area and have enjoyed taking part in several intergenerational projects with various local schemes.

To be good at this job you really need to be a people person. You need to be caring, patient and have a good awareness of older people’s needs, and how to address those needs. The Sheltered Housing Service is responsible for the delivery of all the housing management service to each tenant, so knowledge of what the customer is entitled to as a tenant and a customer of Community Care Alarm Service is essential. The role of a Sheltered Housing Officer is so varied; you really can’t predict what each day will bring.

Here’s a day from my diary in November:

8am - Morning calls

The first thing I do is inform the CCAS control centre at YHN House that I’m on site. I then check the answer machine and diary to ensure that all has been ok while I have been off site. If nothing needs my immediate attention I start my morning calls. 

We have 33 self-contained flats at Margaret Collins House and every morning I call each person via their intercoms to check they’re ok and if they need anything. This can take anything between 30 minutes and all morning depending on the outcome of the morning call, so I try not to book any appointments until the afternoon.

This role is very reactive – you can’t plan what’s going to happen. One of the residents I call tells me he has had pains in his stomach and back throughout the night. I remembered organising a radiation scan at the hospital for the gentleman for the previous week. He was given new medication so to be on the safe side I ring his doctor to ask his opinion. The doctor tells me the pains are a result of the treatment and not the new medication it should subside through time, but to keep an eye on him. I pop upstairs to his flat and reassure him and tell him to let me know if the pains continue.

10am - Chair-based exercise class

Every Wednesday I run a chair-based exercise class in the lounge for both residents and the local community. Health and wellbeing is a big priority in sheltered schemes – we’ve also got a walking group, a weekly Rookie golf session, and intergenerational bowls.
We end the exercise class with a chat and a healthy eating session which includes having fresh fruit and orange juice.

11am - Accompanied viewing

We currently have a vacant flat in Margaret Collins House which has been advertised through Your Choice Homes. A lady has made an appointment to come and view the flat so I greet her and show her around, and her daughter has also come along to find out more about the scheme and sheltered housing in general. Quite a lot of people still think of the stereotype of an old folks home when they think of sheltered so I like to enlighten them, give them the correct information about sheltered and set the record straight. All of our flats have their own front door, are totally self-contained with their own kitchen and bathroom – it really is independent living. The lady and her daughter are very interested and I explain what she needs to do if she would like to bid for the flat.

12pm - Lunch

I join the residents for our lunch of fish and chips which I organise every week.

1pm - Support plans and admin

I try to catch up on admin and paperwork during the afternoon and complete support plans. Each resident has a support plan which is a confidential document showing all the support needs of the individual and how we provide for them. A support plan is a working document so it continually needs updating. It is vital all residents’ records are regularly checked to ensure that all their personal information, including details of their GP and contact details of their next of kin, are current. Because our service works with some vulnerable people and is regularly responding to emergencies it is paramount that the details we hold are correct and up to date. Having good computer skills is a must in this role.

I respond to emails and start planning the Christmas party and New Year’s Eve celebrations – they are always lively and lots of fun!

3pm - Off site visit

I leave site and meet my senior to visit a lady who has applied to YHN for re-housing. During a previous visit where we discussed all possible options available, she showed an interest in sheltered. We have arranged to pick her up and take her to view a one-bedroomed property we have available at Allendale House which is another sheltered scheme in Byker.  Although the lady is impressed with the property she is daunted by the work which would be involved in actually moving, and is unsure as to whether she will be able to cope with the upheaval. We do our best to reassure her by offering a range of options which could help her including furniture packages, arranging carpet fittings, even a packing service. Still not entirely convinced we return her to her home so she can sleep on it, confirming that my senior will contact her in the morning and they can discuss it further.

4pm - Account checks

As part of my management duties all tenants’ rent accounts are checked every week. On Wednesdays I arrange a visit to anyone who is showing arrears on their current account.  If an account is in arrears it is the responsibility of the Sheltered Housing Officer to find out why, and then opt for the most appropriate method in which they can support the tenant to ensure that the account is brought up to date and the balance is cleared as soon as possible. This could range from making enquiries about any outstanding benefit applications, including Supporting People, or it may be the tenant is in hospital and unable to pay.  We have an Advice and Support Worker who can visit tenants at their homes to give more expert advice on ways they can maximise their income and better manage their money. Whatever the method, our aim is to support and help tenants maintain their tenancies.

4.30pm - Home time

It’s been another busy day at the office and it looks like I will get finished on time tonight, which is not always the case. We are a responsive service and respond to all emergencies which can vary from a serious health problem which requires an ambulance to attend, to a maintenance issue, for example a lift break down or the fire alarms being activated. Whatever the problem, whatever the time is, we will stay until it is resolved.

I love both working and living at Margaret Collins House, I have some really special memories. I have made some really good friends and my daughter has got more nana’s and granddad’s than she could wish for. I even met my husband here – his mum was a resident and he came to the New Year’s Eve party in 1991, and the rest is history!

It’s a great feeling knowing I can make a difference to people every day. It’s hard work and a very responsible job and it can be very difficult at times, but I’m really proud to be a Sheltered Housing Officer.”