Our colleagues are what truly make Elim a great place to work, and we have some amazing individuals who have a real passion for what they do. Recently, we got the chance to sit down with Rhi, Specialist Housing Officer for our North Somerset and Bath Gypsy and Traveller sites, to find out a little bit more about what makes her career to date.

How did your career at Elim Housing begin?

My previous role was Housing Support Officer at Alliance Homes, supporting gypsy and traveller communities, but on a much smaller scale. I met an Elim member of staff whilst joint working at Elim’s Greenfields Way site, and we got talking about her role working solely with the Gypsy and Traveller community and I was really intrigued by the breadth of the role and the positive outcomes achieved for the residents.

A few months after this encounter, by chance, I saw a role advertised for Specialist Housing Officer at Elim and even though it was a tough decision to leave where I was, I knew I had to go for it. That was 2 years ago now, and the rest is history as they say!

What does an average week look like for you and your team?

No 2 days are ever the same and the nature of the work is reactive and varied. It can involve supporting residents on a 1-1 basis, monitoring rent activity and offering advice and signposting. We visit each scheme weekly to catch up with the residents and this gives us a chance to check in on their wellbeing and ensure everything on site is as it should be.

For us, It’s essential to build links with the local community to provide residents with the best service possible. We also continue to build links on a wider level, Elim is the largest national provider of Gypsy Roma & Traveller accommodation in the UK and we play our role in national networks to share and to learn from good practice and to advocate for our customer groups.

What do you think are the current challenges for Elim’s gypsy and traveller communities?

As social landlords we invest every day supporting people, improving outcomes for residents and tackling inequalities. Unfortunately, some of our resident’s face discrimination from local communities, this is usually down to lack of understanding of their culture and needs.

As a result of this, we work closely with charitable organisation Sari, who supports victims of hate crime. This proactive joint approach, along with other local groups and agencies helps us to support our residents and provides an opportunity to build a dialogue with the local community.

What do you get out of your role with Elim?

My role is busy, however it is also incredibly rewarding. Every opportunity is an opportunity to learn, and we do it as a team. We have been able to build trust with the communities we serve and we are seeing higher levels participation and engagement which is fantastic.

Our team ensures our gypsy and traveller residents get the same opportunities as other Elim customers in supported and general housing. Most recently we organised placements for residents at Bath City Farm among others to gain some hands-on skills and meet new people in the local area. Seeing our residents gain confidence is very rewarding.

What can someone expect if they come and work for Elim?

There’s plenty of opportunities for learning, both on the job and formal training as part of Elim’s skills academy. Theres also lots of support, guidance and skill sharing across Elim which is really beneficial, we all have our part to play, and we work together to provide the best service we can for our customers. We may be a small organisation but we certainly pack a punch!

Elim Housing are proud to support the Gypsy and Traveller Community in the region. We currently manage South West Traveller Sites in North and South Somerset, Bath, Bristol, Gloucestershire and Devon. Find out more about the services we offer.

If you're considering a career in Housing and would like to find out more about our available roles, please visit our recruitment page or call us on 01454 411172.