Experience

Grove Community Housing Association

• United Kingdom
• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Chief Executive

  • Mar 2019 - Present

  Responsible for overall operational and strategic management of a community based housing association, reporting directly to a voluntary board of management. Responsible for all regulatory returns, contract management, budget setting and control and staffing. Oversee annual internal and external audits. Also includes implementation of change management and raising of standards to meet high levels of compliance. Drafting of policy and procedures to meet current and future housing needs of the Association’s assets; it’s tenants and its portfolio of social housing property stock including new development works and re-hab and improvement works. Winners of CIH All-Ireland Housing Awards 2022 - innovation in housing category “Safe homes Happy homes” Show less



Queen's University Belfast

• United Kingdom
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Education & Welfare Adviser

  • Jan 2013 - Mar 2019

  Specialist private rented housing advice including strategic and legal campaign work to raise standards and awareness of housing rights for private rental tenants. Have spoken at conferences and also provided interviews with media including BBC radio. Student's union advice and representation - academic appeals, disciplinary conduct regulations, Fitness to Practice hearings, academic offences, complaints, Phd supervision issues, I.P./authorship concerns, progression, misconduct in research investigations, complaints and appeals, bullying/harassment concerns. Welfare advice including signposting to external supports where required, including voluntary, statutory and legal. QUBSU Consent ambassador. Support and advice to active student officer team, NUS/USI team of the year 2017/18. Show less



Praxis Care

• United Kingdom
• Individual and Family Services
• 200 - 300 Employee

• Supporting People Officer

  • May 2011 - Dec 2012

  Supporting People Officer for Government 'Supporting People' Contracts for large Charity - Contract Value over £5 million. Conducted internal audits and lead contact with Commissioners during external audits. First 'A' Standard award achieved for the organisation. Trained staff and implemented service improvement plans. Policy development across healthcare jurisdictions in North and South of Ireland and North of England. Redesign and implementation of needs and risk assessment and person centred outcomes models. Advice to SMT on service level agreements and service charges from Housing Associations and forecasts of regional authority policy changes and practice implications for organisation. Show less



SHAC Housing Association (now with CHOICE HA)

• Belfast, North Coast, Derry

• Senior Support Officer/Manager

  • Oct 2009 - May 2011

  Returned from an external management secondment during a period of merger for the Association. Took over operational management of 'Supporting People' contracts in Belfast, North Coast and North West areas. Managed, trained and supervised team of support staff to delivery support services to tenants with complex needs to sustain their tenancies. Lead contact for external audit - standards met and significant contract funds paid that had previously been suspended prior to taking over management of SP contracts. Overseen smooth transition of services to external agencies when contracts decommissioned prior to merger. Liaised closely with service users, S.M.T. , Commissioners and new agencies from identification/sourcing through to hand-over stages. Show less



Ark Housing

• United Kingdom
• Non-profit Organization Management
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Housing & Support Manager

  • Oct 2007 - Oct 2009

  Day to day operational management and strategic management of all general needs housing, sheltered housing, supported living including a 24/7 homeless Family Centre. This included managing a busy operational team 25+, budget and income setting & control, including rent reviews and service charge setting and recovery action, routine and planned maintenance. Regulatrory returns/reports to Dept. Internal & external audits. Reviewed and managed service level agreements with joint management partners in voluntary sector. Carried out a full restructure of homeless services, designed and co-ordinated training for staff. Worked closely with NIHE commissioners who commended the service highly. Worked very closely with senior social work and Guardian Et Litum staff and health visitors for children on 'at risk' registers. Member of S.M.T. and deputised for Chief Executive and reported to Board of Management. Designated Child Protection Officer, Vulnerable Adults Officer and Equality Officer for the organisation. Show less



SHAC Housing Association (now CHOICE HA)

• Northern Ireland

• Housing Officer and Supporting People Officer

  • May 2001 - Sep 2007

  Managed a busy portfolio of high turn over social housing stock for people of working age, including allocation of licence agreements and tenancy agreements, voids control, day to day management, including routine and cyclical maintenance works. Worked in partnership with the Home Office to deliver housing solutions for asylum seekers. Carried out needs and risks assessments and put person centred support and risk management plans in place for indivduals to support sustainment of tenancy and improve wellbeing. This included liaising closely with statutory and voluntary agencies and advocacy for clients with addictions, physical, sensory and mental ill health disability and children on 'at risk' registers. Represented clients successfully in benefit appeal tribunals. Carried out resettlement work for vulnerable service users following discharge from mental health hospital units and addiction services and long term unsettled lifestyle. Community development 'Let's Get it Right' campaign work in Cathedral Quarter area for residents group. Enabled tenant participation through community arts photography following successful Community Arts Forum funding support. Show less



Helm Housing Association (Now Radius HA)

• Northern Ireland

• Housing Assistant

  • Jan 2000 - May 2001

  Day to day housing and maintenance management of a patch of general needs and sheltered housing stock and JMA’s. Issuing of routine repairs and checking contractor invoices against MTC and authorisation for payment. Community relations work in Lower Shankill area. Tenant participation. Day to day housing and maintenance management of a patch of general needs and sheltered housing stock and JMA’s. Issuing of routine repairs and checking contractor invoices against MTC and authorisation for payment. Community relations work in Lower Shankill area. Tenant participation.



Housing Rights

• United Kingdom
• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Administration Officer

  • Apr 1999 - Dec 1999

  Payroll, accounts/finance, IT/telecommunications, statistics and data processing, supervision of reception staff Payroll, accounts/finance, IT/telecommunications, statistics and data processing, supervision of reception staff



Oaklee Housing (Now Choice HA)

• Northern Ireland

• Admin/Housing Assistant

  • Jan 1992 - Apr 1999

  Admin support to busy housing team. Day to day housing management of small patch of general needs and sheltered housing. Marketing/promotion of new housing schemes. Assessment of housing applications, preparation of reports/papers for board meetings. Department statistical returns. Admin support to busy housing team. Day to day housing management of small patch of general needs and sheltered housing. Marketing/promotion of new housing schemes. Assessment of housing applications, preparation of reports/papers for board meetings. Department statistical returns.