A day with Di
Di joined us last summer as the new Director of Homes, following Steve Fox’s departure to a new position in another housing association. We spoke to Di to find out a bit more about her and her role.
In your role as the Director of Homes, what are you responsible for?
As the name suggests, I am the Director of Homes, which means I help to look after the property side of ccha. I am part of the Leadership Team, supporting with our overall strategy and ensuring our homes are consistently well-maintained and meet the agreed standards. This involves looking after the repairs and maintenance service and the long-term management and improvement of our residents’ homes.
What's your favourite part of your role? ? ?
There are a lot of things I enjoy; the opportunity to collaborate, be innovative, achieve our goals, help others, make a difference in the customer journey and ensure we deliver on our promises. I’ve worked in social housing and property management for over 20 years, so I’m looking forward to using my experience to improve the service we provide to residents.
What does a typical day look like for you? ? ?
I start by checking my emails and diary to prepare for the day. This way, I can get myself organised, reply to any urgent enquiries and plan what I need to do. I also attend internal and external meetings. My day also includes:
- Preparing Board and committee papers
- Continued improvement work
- Working on strategy and responding to queries
What happens when a resident contacts you? ? ?
My team will generally respond to resident queries, as they are best placed to action any requests. However, I will support them in doing this on the occasions I am contacted.
Is there anything you wish residents knew about your role and the challenges you face?
We try to get ahead and prepare as much as we can to work with the current economic climate and sector changes. It can be challenging, but our residents are at the heart of everything we do, and we are committed to delivering on our promises.
And final question, do you have a favourite winter recipe you would like to share with our residents?
I love to cook beef short ribs and mashed potatoes. I hope you enjoy it if you try it!
Step 1: First, season the beef short ribs with salt and black pepper, and brown them on all sides, over medium-high heat in an oven-proof dish. Set them aside. Add some sliced onions, carrots, garlic and herbs of your choice to the same dish and sauté for a bit to start building flavour.
Step 2: Add the meat back in and add beef broth to cover the meat and vegetables. Cover and cook this low and slow in the oven for around 2.5 hours for the best and most tender finished ribs.
Ideally, serve with mashed potatoes.
Thanks to Di for taking the time to chat with us and we are glad to have you on board!