Colleague Spotlight: Supported Housing Officer

Meet Maria, Supported Housing Officer at Elim:

What does your role entail?
A bit of everything! I provide emotional support to our residents and support them in their journey to live independently. I liaise with partner services and advocate on their behalf.

What are the top three personal qualities your role requires?
- Organisation - There is a lot of work to do and you need to be able to balance it all.
- Empathy – This is really important as our residents come from lots of different backgrounds. You need to be able to understand their different life stories and how this has affected the choice they have and make.
- Assertiveness – You have to be able to say no to residents and partner services and maintain your professional boundaries.

What has been your career highlight whilst at Elim?
I have been with Elim for 6 months and it has really given me the opportunity to develop my professional skills. I’ve been given lots of responsibility and autonomy from my line manager, and they have supported my professional growth through training opportunities.

Can you tell us about a time you supported a resident to achieve their best move?
I had a resident with complex needs who had £1500 of debt with the council, he was not engaging with support sessions and his mental health was suffering. I helped him apply for support through the council and was able to wipe his debt. The resident started engaging more and taking responsibility for himself. He has now been moved to band 2 and is able to start applying for independent accommodation with Home Choice.

Can you tell us about some challenges you face in your role and how you overcome them?
It can be challenging to balance ongoing needs of multiple residents, you never know what situation might happen each day. I am able to do this with the support of my team.

What do you get out of your role with Elim?
Ongoing personal and professional development and opportunity to growth due to the diversity and different backgrounds of the clients I work with. Working in this role gives you a purpose to improve yourself to make a difference in other to improve people’s lives.

Any advice for someone looking to get into a career in supported housing?
Although it might be a challenging role at times, it is so rewarding and a privilege to be part of people’s life’s journey. If you’d like to make a difference in your career and other’s people life’s , this role is for you. Elim is a supportive organisation with a great sense of community and fairness. I have felt so encouraged and supported since the minute I started. 

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