As BCHA embarks on a transformation of its housing service, we sat down with Sarah Wallis, the organisation’s Head of Housing, to learn more about the new programme, how it came to life, and what it means for the future of housing support. Sarah brings her experience full circle — having started her career at BCHA two decades ago, she now returns to help shape the next chapter.
How did you get into this work?
I actually started my housing career at BCHA about 20 years ago. I began as a volunteer while considering a career change. A friend suggested volunteering, and I ended up at a young person’s hostel called Fortuna House — a BCHA-run service at the time. From there, I worked in a variety of roles: night work, support work, and eventually became the project manager for young people’s accommodation in the Poole area.
After that, I went on to work for Poole Housing Partnership, where I held a variety of roles, spanning housing support, estate management, and general housing operations. Most recently, I was at Winchester City Council, working on support and inclusion projects, as well as leading housing operations and community safety.
When I saw the Head of Housing role advertised at BCHA, I thought it would be really meaningful to return and bring back the experience I’ve gained along the way.
That’s quite a journey. What was it like coming back to BCHA after all that time?
It’s been really interesting — BCHA has changed a lot. When I first worked here, it was much more focused on supported housing. Now, the organisation has expanded its housing stock significantly, including general needs housing, and has built up its housing management service. So it’s been fantastic to come back and see all that growth and transformation. It feels like a full-circle moment, but with new energy and a broader impact.
How important are BCHA’s values to you, especially now that you’ve returned?
They’re incredibly important. People who work at BCHA really embody the organisation’s values. To be part of this team, you need a genuine passion for working with people, supporting those facing housing difficulties or homelessness, and helping them build a better life.
What’s also stood out to me since coming back is the breadth of services BCHA offers — from mental health and well-being services to BCHA Learn. It’s an organisation with a truly holistic approach, going far beyond housing to offer meaningful support across many aspects of life.
What excites you most about the work you’re doing now?
The opportunity to lead positive change is what excites me the most — working with a brilliant team to evolve and improve housing services. We’re in a time of significant change in social housing, especially with the new regulatory framework that came into effect in April 2024. There’s a strong focus on customer voice and co-creation, and that’s exciting because it means we can shape services that are truly responsive to the people who use them.
Can you tell us more about the housing team transformation programme?
The programme builds on the fantastic work that the teams have already been doing, evolving in response to customer feedback on areas for improvement and change. One key theme was the desire for more visibility and presence from housing staff — people wanted smaller patches, quicker responses, and more face-to-face contact.
So, the transformation involved merging the tenancy, income management, and financial inclusion teams into one unified housing team. Now, we have generic Housing Officers who manage both tenancy and income issues, so they can address concerns at the first point of contact more effectively. We also restructured the management layer.
All this will bring the housing service closer to customers, be more present, build stronger relationships, and really understand people’s needs. That way, our teams can connect customers with the right support, whether from BCHA services or other local partners. It’s about creating a more connected, human approach to housing management, with wrap-around support.
We’re building on success, guided by feedback and values, to make something even stronger.
It sounds like customers have been integral in shaping this evolution.
Customers have been absolutely central to this transformation. Their feedback and insights highlighted the need for change, and we’ve worked with groups like the Customer Steering Group and the Transitional Support Group to ensure they’re involved at each step. They’ve known about the transformation as it’s progressed, and now they’ll play an even bigger role in monitoring the new service, reviewing policies and procedures, and giving continuous feedback to help us improve.
How would you sum up what to expect from these changes?
We're bringing the housing team closer to customers: to be more present, more proactive, and better able to build meaningful relationships that support people’s housing and wider well-being.
Want to be part of our Housing Transformation? Check our vacancies below.
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