What does your role involve?
I’m a response surveyor at Selwood Housing and my role involves visiting customers to see what repairs are needed to their homes. I then make sure that the repairs are carried out efficiently and effectively by our in-house repairs and maintenance team or external contractors.
How long have you been at Selwood Housing?
I joined Selwood Housing in 2019 and started out as a multi-trade operative. I then progressed to a multi-trade carpenter role. When the surveyor role came up, I liked the idea of progression and coming off the tools. I applied for it and have now been working as a response surveyor for fourteen months.
What does a typical day at work look like?
A typical day starts with a team huddle where we air any problems from the day before and raise any queries on inspections and visits for that day.
I then do home inspections from 9 am to 1 pm and sometimes in the afternoon if needed. Then it’s back to the office to specify what’s needed to rectify the problems. I raise the necessary work orders and details to get the problem sorted for the customer.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I like the variety in my job and the fact that I’m not completely office based. It’s good to be able to visit customers, see them face to face, to find out what the problems are. I also enjoy coming up with solutions to put them right.
One of the most rewarding aspects is making a difference in the lives of older or disabled people by helping to adapt their home to make their daily lives easier. For example installing handrails or other aids. It’s also great to help new customers settle into their homes and make things easier for them. This might mean fitting new doors or making other adjustments that improve their home and day to day living.
How have you managed to progress your career at Selwood?
I was able to gain great insight into my current role by shadowing surveyors and supervisors, during a couple of tagalong days. I had the practical skills already from being a tradesman, but I needed to improve my IT skills. I’ve been well supported by Selwood Housing in this regard. I’m currently studying a two-year HNC surveyor qualification course at Bath College, with one day in college each week.
What advice would you give anyone thinking of joining Selwood?
There are many roles within the company, and Selwood Housing is very supportive of both career development and personal growth, whether that’s through a promotion or building and gaining new skills. The culture here is incredibly open and encouraging. There’s lots of opportunity to pair up with colleagues to see what they do. There is also plenty of support systems to help you achieve your career goals. I’ve had some great support from both my manager and my supervisor to help me.
