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Housing Management
Many people "fall into" housing;
it's a
job people find themselves in, rather than a planned career. That was
certainly what happened to me. When I was working as the office manager
for a computer company, I saw an ad for an "administrator” for local
housing co-operatives in Canada. I applied, got the job – and a whole
new career.
Once in housing,
what further training do people get? In my experience it varies
depending with whom you work and what you do.
Front
line reception staff may get customer care training. Housing officers
will be trained in the basics of law, policy and procedures. Managers
may well get the same training as housing officers, as well as
something on appraisals and disciplinary policies. Training in equal
opportunities is compulsory, and there may be a course in how to deal
with 'difficult people'.
Sounds like a lot
of people training,
but where are housing staff taught basic, ordinary communication
skills? Meaningful communication is a skill. Learning to listen to
people and talk with them are vital skills for delivering not only a
housing association’s own services, but also government initiatives
such as the "Respect” agenda and community renewal projects. Housing
staff deal with a variety of customers, external and internal, who have
a variety of needs, objectives and understanding of issues. We need to
make sure that we in the sector can respond to each person as an
individual, not as one of a group.
Housing
associations have
been using acceptable behaviour contracts (ABCs) to deal with
individuals and families whose behaviour is causing disturbance to
others. ABCs are often standard contracts, meaning that one size has to
fit all. Without the skills of listening, assertive communication and
negotiation, these contracts are merely handed out as part of the
policy for dealing with difficult people. These skills are needed not
just by housing staff, but by our tenants and their advocates. For a
contract to be understood, negotiated and agreed, both sides need to be
skilled in listening to and talking with each other.
Social
housing is often perceived as the housing of last resort. There are
many reasons for this – some have to do with the feeling that home
ownership is better than renting, and the perception that those who do
rent from social landlords or councils are poor. Unfortunately, it is
true that many – but by no means all – of those in social housing are
likely to be amongst the most socially disadvantaged. Social housing
tends to be found in deprived areas where expectations are low.
We
train housing staff in the law, policies and procedures, and facts. The
government then wants social landlords to help with initiatives such as
Respect. This is in addition to meeting all the other government
targets – a compulsory add on, without additional time or resources
available to be given to it.
Respect works both
ways – we need
to give our tenants respect, as much as we should expect it. We need to
be mindful that we are dealing often with people who are not respected
– and may treat these efforts with suspicion. Only time will overcome
that. Perhaps the government needs to remember that they need to give
respect to the tremendous work done in this sector already, and to
resource the additional training and time needed for housing staff to
carry out yet more work. Respect requires time, effort, empathy, and
creativity. We must make a place for them in our outcome-driven world.
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