Hannah Ford is ForHousing’s extra-care scheme manager at Jackson Gardens in Knowsley. Here, she talks about her passion for the role and why it is so important to try to make a positive difference to people’s daily lives
What has been your career journey so far?
I’ve been at ForHousing for the past three years. Prior to that, I worked in care provision for City and County Healthcare for 12 years.
I worked my way up from being a carer to managing a team. ForHousing offered me my current role, and I’ve loved working in housing ever since.
I’ve learned so much along the way, from how the benefits system works to understanding voids and lettings, and from dealing with health and safety to tackling anti-social behaviour.
I’m really excited to be studying for my CIH Level 4 housing management qualification this year, which is giving me the chance to learn even more.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I start my day early – I love to listen to something on Audible on my commute.
No two days are the same, and I thrive on that. Managing time effectively and prioritising work is really important in this job, as it’s so busy.
I manage a team of two staff and we have 90 tenants. We meet with the on-site care team every day to hear how tenants are doing – for example, it’s helpful to know if someone has had a fall or is ill.
I’m here to help with any queries tenants have – for example, around repairs – and hold regular tenant meetings so people can have their say. I help potential tenants with viewings here and support new folks to get settled in.
I work closely with the council on allocating homes and helping tenants to look after their home once they’ve moved in. Partnership working is so important, and I regularly refer tenants to organisations like Citizens Advice Bureau if they need to access further support.
“No two days are the same, and I thrive on that”
I also attend multidisciplinary meetings – for example, on any safeguarding issues concerning our tenants.
My team are just great, and we all really care about delivering a high-quality service to tenants. We have regular team meetings, and I manage and mentor colleagues and support students on placement with us from Liverpool John Moores University.
Every afternoon, we deliver a range of activities to tenants to support their wellbeing including knitting, exercise classes, bingo, and digital skills. I’m excited about our new activity coordinator starting soon; she’ll be running gardening, massage, and dance sessions.
We’re always keen to work with the local community, too, and are making plans to develop some intergenerational activities with the local school.
What do you enjoy the most about the role?
I’m definitely a people person, and I enjoy that my role involves being hands-on and working with tenants every day.
For me, the possibility of improving the service we offer and the power to help improve people’s quality of life is what gets me out of bed each day.
I love being able to make a positive impact on people’s lives – high-quality housing and care can make such a difference. Partnership-working with the local council is absolutely crucial to this.
What made you want to work for ForHousing?
I’m really proud to work for ForHousing; they’re not like other landlords. They go above and beyond for their tenants and really care about their wellbeing. When I got offered the job with them I jumped at the chance.
For example, ForHousing run a tenant welfare fund that helps people struggling with the cost of living. It’s been a huge help to my tenants. It helped one gentleman who was previously homeless to get his new place here fully equipped, really making his house a home.
What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
I really enjoy going to the gym and spending time with my grandson who lives nearby. I am also a huge Manchester City fan and go to all their games.
My partner and I are planning our wedding in September, so I’m really busy with that too.
Image: Hannah Ford, extra-care scheme manager, ForHousing
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