Andrea Way has worked with BCHA customers in a variety of housing roles during the last 14 years. But her current job as a Tenancy Housing Officer is the ‘cat’s whiskers’.
“My job is very busy with ringing phones and different challenges every day, but I absolutely love it.
“I help people with issues around their tenancy, such as getting repairs done and signposting them to different help they need, to managing disputes and even liaising with the local policing team around anti-social behaviour.
“The role is varied, you never know what support people are going to need, but it’s made so much easier because the team of people I work with are absolutely amazing. They are so supportive of each other and if I have any issues I am struggling with I know I can count on the team to step in and help.
“It’s a very collaborative job, working with lots of different teams and departments to make sure people get what they need. In essence we help people in all matters of their daily lives - it’s so much more than just their tenancy we support them with.
“Of course, the best bit is handing someone the keys to their own place and seeing the joy on their face, especially if they have previously experienced homelessness.
“I recently handled the tenancy arrangements for a man who had been sleeping rough in a tent and he told me he couldn’t quite believe that the flat BCHA was giving him was really going to be his. It can be an extremely rewarding job.
“BCHA is also a great employer and I think that’s why I have enjoyed working here for so long. The organisation actively encourages employees to achieve and follow our ambitions.
“In my spare time I am studying for my Housing Officer qualifications and for the past six years I have also been studying for an Open University degree in Classical Studies. I sometimes wonder how I have the time, but I make it work.
“I absolutely adore books, including mythology, fantasy and romance and at the last count I had around 1400 books at home.
“Escaping into a good book, as well as spending time with my husband and two adorable cats Hades and Octavia, is just what I need after a challenging day at work.”
Our Partners
