Sally, Mobile Warden

Length at current job: 1 year.

Tell us a little about your position and what you do on a day-to-day basis.  Who are your customers and your co-workers? Do you work in a team environment or independently?

My role involves speaking to potential new tenants about the role and cost of the warden service, creating and updating support plans and referring tenants to other support services where required. The team covers eight sites across East and North Bristol, which are a mixture of 50+ general needs and sheltered housing for older people. 

We provide a 24-hour alarm response service which I help deliver, including lifting people (where it is safe to do so) who have fallen using a lifting cushion.  I also carry out housekeeping checks on site, reporting health and safety concerns or repairs that need addressing. I often liaise with other professionals and family members and make safeguarding referrals as appropriate. 

Our tenants are largely 60+. They are all completely different, but they are very friendly and grateful for the service we provide. I work with a diverse group of tenants, all of whom have different support needs.

I work both independently and also as part of a team.  I work an eight-week rolling shift pattern as the warden service provides cover to tenants 24/7. In my current cluster there are three of us, each of whom have our own sites we are responsible for. We cover each other when any of us are on leave or off sick. The warden team consists of 20+ wardens city wide all of whom are supportive to each other.

What keeps you motivated to go to work each day? What is your proudest accomplishment?

Knowing that I have the ability to make an actual difference to a tenant’s life. For some of my tenants I can be the only person they see from week to week. I like that I am able to support tenants to be able to remain in their homes for as long as possible.

My proudest accomplishment is to have fought for a tenant who was put on end-of-life care and had severe mental health issues to remain in his property until he died. I worked with the Social Worker, GP, District Nurses, Care Agency and his sister to make this happen and it did. I am very proud of what I achieved for this tenant.

Are there any challenges in your job? If so, how do you handle them? 

Sometimes I receive calls from conflicting family members or unhappy tenants - I always remain calm and listen, you can always work a way through any issues, just ensure people feel listened to. Some tenants do not want to receive care or the support they need - I spend time trying to find out the reason for this and I can largely get to the bottom of it and resolve the issue, if not it is just a case of monitoring the situation and acting accordingly.

How have your previous experiences prepared you for this job? How have you evolved in your current role and where do you hope to go next? 

35 years in the NHS working in a variety of roles has allowed me to learn from others, and from my various roles over the years I have gained a wealth of knowledge from the hands-on experiences I've had which has developed me into the person I am today.

I am much more confident within my role compared to day one. I have a broader knowledge of the service we provide and what services and people to work with in order to enable tenants to remain at home safely. I am not afraid to challenge if needed and will give my opinion of situations and what I feel would be most beneficial for tenants.

I have been a manager in a previous role but always felt I missed out on the day to day 'hands on stuff', so I have no desire to move on from the role I currently have as I feel this is where my skill set is best placed.

What advice would you give someone who is seeking the same line of work?

If you like making a difference to people's lives, then this job is definitely worth considering. You will get out of this job what you are prepared to put into it. It is hard going at times but also one of the most rewarding jobs I have ever had, and no two days are the same. You have to be able to work autonomously, be organised and flexible and able to make on the spot decisions, think on your feet whilst remaining calm.