How it began....

I initially began as a trainee Building Surveyor working at a Local Authority before successfully applying for my first permanent role just under two years later.

 

Very early into my traineeship role, we learned that the budget for 'repairs & maintenance' had been used several months before the end of the financial year. I had to learn very quickly how to manage expectations and how to prioritise my work.

 

Following my traineeship role,  I was now employed by a Housing Association and covered a much greater geographical area than what I was responsible for in my previous role.

 

This allowed me to build upon the experience and confidence to work independently but to also know how to work as part of a wider team. I covered areas that were based some way outside of London and took great pride in seeking to not only maintain, but to find solutions to the repair issues affecting the properties.

 

I had the opportunity to work across various department such as Reactivate Maintenance, Voids re-lets, Major void refurbishments, External/Cyclical decorations programmes, Roofing renewal and every time I not only enjoyed learning new things and also facing and overcoming challenges as they arose.

 

Having had a good mentor during my traineeship, I was advised to work with the 'long term' in mind.  This has served me very well in the work that I now do. 

 

Moving forward, I had some previous involvement in adaptation work (mainly from a repair perspective) but began working in this sector full-time, shortly after the London Olympics.  This role covered the Council owned Housing stock.

 

The journey began when I applied for a newly created post following the previous closure of the Home Improvement Agency department.  It had been closed for nearly two years.

 

Starting my new role with 4 large boxes full of 'case files' being placed on a desk, myself along with a administrative member of staff worked through and delivered the work that was in front of us. 100s of cases were progressed and I am proud to say we delivered a good service with limited resources.

 

We gathered and measured data whilst delivering works, then used the data to implement and improve systems - allowing us to deliver more work at a faster pace.

 

Early into this role, I visited a lady at home following the installation of a new stair lift.  During our conversation the lady kept thanking me as I had now provided the opportunity to 'go back upstairs' in her home.  She had been confined to the ground floor for over two years and only now felt properly integrated back with the family.

 

This really stood out and has stayed with me ever since.

 

I later moved into the private sector and focused more on the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) work which covers the owner occupied housing stock. This brought different challenges but some key ones for me was the desire for people to be truly involved in the design and outcome of the intended works.  Many often have their own ideas about how things should look and do not necessarily want to use the products suggested or offered by the Council.

 

Regardless of tenure however, there always seems to be lengthy waiting lists for either an assessment, a survey or for the work itself.

 

There is a lack of information and assistance for those who may apply for a grant but wish to carry out works themselves (choosing not to use the Councils agency service).

 

For a variety of reasons Local Authorities have constraints that impact how they deliver adaptations and this presents both a problem and an opportunity.

 

The problem being that many are unaware of the assistance available, many are frustrated by the process and many are unhappy with what they receive or they simply are waiting too long to be seen.

 

The opportunity being that the above issues are solvable. Steinwall was founded to reduce waiting times and improve the customer journey for home adaptations. We see a collaborative approach as a way forward.

 

My experience has allowed me to work for and with many Local Authorities and Housing Associations, that are responsible for delivering adaptations......and my view is that there's a need for effective and efficient change to reach those people who wait too long for independent living solutions

 

I'm forever reminded that a routine task in my job - is often completely life changing for someone else.

 

This is why I continue.

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