What is your current role?

I am one of the Heads of Housing & Support.

When did you join Transform?

Well I worked as a Supported Housing Officer and then a Senior Supported Housing Officer between 1996 and 2003 at the Guildford team.

I was quite ambitious, and at the time Transform was quite a small organisation. I got the opportunity to go and work for Surrey Country Council in a special multi-funded post looking at accommodation and discharge processes from the acute wards for clients with mental health issues in West Surrey.

It was a great opportunity and it meant I worked very closely with the supporting people team. I also took over the management of the support side for several properties that Transform had, so I was still working with Natalie at Spelthorne and Sue in Guildford.

In between coming back to Transform in 2021 I did a variety of managerial jobs managing supported accommodation in general needs housing associations. I ended up, the Deputy Head of a retirement village. But it wasn’t really my thing.

I was still in touch with Natalie and Sue and, during lockdown, we started doing monthly Zoom calls with another person who also used to work here. Sue happened to mention that there was a job going at Transform, so I had a conversation with Adele, I applied and the rest is history!

What does your typical day at work involve?

There probably isn’t really one. My typical day involves me talking to several of my managers about their work. They will touch base, not every day, but if there’s something they want to talk about they’ll do that. I’ve got very competent managers, so most of the time they just crack on with it and I’m able to trust them which is great.

I get involved in a lot of meetings about many things. I may go and meet with clients and with the local teams. I was also lucky enough to be involved in organising the 50th celebration event for colleagues.

We are also doing a huge review of processes and procedures, at the moment which takes up a large amount of time but is making many things more streamlined and hopefully easier for staff on the frontline so they can get on with the main job.

Sometimes we’re looking at re-tendering for current projects which is really important as it secures the future of the services and allows us to relook at the service models and see where we can improve. Part of that includes talking to the team about what services they think we can offer and also finding out what the commissioner wants and bringing those two things together. That takes some time but it’s really worth it.

What do you enjoy most about working for Transform?

The variety of the day. Also the fact that the decisions that I make can make a genuine difference for clients and colleagues.

What has been your most satisfying experience?

It was probably the 50th anniversary celebration event. It was great to be able to say thank you to colleagues for all their hard work and commitment – putting something together like that is fantastic. People clearly enjoyed it and felt valued – you can’t ask for any more than that. That’s something I’m so proud of.

What do you think you have gained personally through working here?

Going back to my initial time when I was first here, that period helped set my standards and values. I established my work ethic here and learnt the way things should be done. That’s why its so good to be back.

What do you think of Transform as an organisation to work for?

I really like it. I like where we are in our journey.

A huge amount of work has already been done in the last two or three years, but I like to keep improving too. I like that we are able to be creative about starting new things.

Colleagues work closely with each other at every level which means that we can actually make things happen. There’s nothing more frustrating than not having any influence on things that really impact you.

What would you say to someone who is thinking of working for Transform?

I’d say just do it! You’re going to work hard but I hope you’ll feel valued and you will walk away from every day feeling that you did a good job.

What do Transform’s values mean to you?

We put the client at the heart of everything we do and that’s really important – that’s where the respect starts. I think that’s why so many clients feel valued and value the support that we provide, because it’s about them.

We do a great job of empowering the people we support. We have such a great range of services available, including the client grants.

I’ve never shied away from responsibility and I think that probably comes from when I first worked here. I don’t mind being accountable for decisions I make as long as I’ve got the right information.

Excellence goes without saying – we provide the best service that we can.

Unless you’re making a difference then there is no point for me really. That’s always been my mantra.