A day in the life: Natasha

Natasha is a new recruit to MySpace, where she works as a housing support officer.

“Before I joined MySpace I worked in a pharmacy and as a carer. I think I’ve always enjoyed helping people.

I’m really enjoying my job. I like the variation more than anything and enjoy getting out and about, rather than being confined to an office or one workspace.

I have started supporting fifteen tenants. Thirteen of those are in our schemes, two are in the community. It’s down to me to set my timetable, schedule visits and make sure I see everyone. As well as providing housing management and tenancy support, I signpost people to sources of specialist help and advice.

There has been a lot to learn and there are big responsibilities in this role but I had a thorough induction, followed by opportunities to shadow a more experienced housing support officer before I went out on my own. I have always felt I can ask anything and my colleagues are only a phone call away.

I work on my own but I am very much part of a team.

When I started, I had to remember that it wasn’t just me who was having a new experience, it was our tenants, too. They had to get to know and trust someone different and that can be a little overwhelming for some people. I’m taking it slowly, building relationships and earning trust.

A good day, for me, is feeling that I have made a difference to someone. That could be helping someone to clean their kitchen or taking a look at a letter that they are finding it hard to understand. I’m taking the worry away.

If I was talking to someone considering a career change like mine, I’d say that to succeed in this role, you need to be caring, compassionate, understanding and a great listener.