Jayne Harrison,
Specialist Navigator, Rapid Rehousing Pathway, Boston

I had to develop my own work from home rules and boundaries, and accept I could only do what is humanly possible!

Our team spirit and moral is brilliant, we’ve become more bonded as a team and off-loaded mostly about the daily challenges of working from home. The team have all given excellent peer support to each other … with a let’s all get the job done attitude. Video calls and Facetime have all been brilliant to keep in contact!

This said, the people we work alongside have struggled with no face-to-face contact, and rules/boundaries have been pushed as expected, but then a level of trust was established.

Younger clients in particular, as well as some older people are better at expressing themselves in their texts or by phone and quality conversations with rich emotional value happened.

My learning from this difficult time would be accept when you have done your best, rest when needed and the value of an amazing team.

Emma Stevens,
Support and Reconnection worker

When it started to become apparent that the virus was spreading at an alarming rate and people were passing away, there was ‘talk’ that we may end up working from home to protect others, but also to keep ourselves safe. My immediate thoughts and feelings were of dread; I did not want to work from home because that is what it is … my home, my sanctuary, my safe place and the place where I spend time with family, friends and my animals.

The first few weeks after ‘lockdown’ took some adjusting, working from my kitchen table, a place where we normally eat our meals. My set up wasn’t too bad, I could look out the kitchen window onto my garden, so at least I wasn’t looking at a blank wall, though looking at sunshine didn’t always help!

From the off, technology wasn’t always playing ball … working on the remote desktop. It wouldn’t always connect or stay connected. It became increasingly frustrating and stressful, added to by the overwhelming emotions of not being able to see family and friends or go out and socialise and I struggled to sleep.

I realised that actually I am now trapped in the house with no physical contact with the outside world and with the people that matter to me most, I became very upset and angry.

We spend so many hours helping and supporting the people we work alongside who at times do not make it easy for us! They definitely don’t see what we go through to support them in the best way possible—I don’t think any of the people I work alongside have ever asked if I’m OK and how am I doing? Yet we do this daily with them … We are human too …

Gradually I realised we can carry out a lot of tasks from home that we would normally carry out in the office, the daily bits and pieces. However, there are definitely tasks that require face-to-face contact such as completing settlement applications and benefit claims. Luckily, some of my colleagues who are not self-isolating, like me, were able to support me with these aspects. I am so very grateful and it has kept things ticking along nicely which means that when things do return back to some normality there won’t be this crazy rush to attend to everyone!

I think I have learned that anything is possible, that we are very adaptable creatures; I now know I can work from home, but I do not want to do this on a permanent basis, I miss my colleagues, the giggles and the banter that makes our team what it is! I have also learned that my family and my friends are extremely important to me and I will be spending every moment I can with them from now on … My mindset now is ‘I work to live’ and not ‘I live to work’.

Ellen Williamson,
Support and Reconnection Worker

Actually, when I first starting working from home I thought it wouldn’t change an awful lot, but over the weeks I have noticed massive changes, from seeing people we work alongside at least once a week to calling them frequently, you can find out a lot more about their day.

There isn’t a lot to be doing during lockdown, but it’s always nice to see how other people are coping, especially the people we work alongside. Some of them have found it tough, as everyone likes some social interaction, but in my opinion, they are coping very well, one of them even taking up some gardening to keep busy.

Another massive task during this time has been working closely with the people placed in the Quayside hotel. When the work began it felt quite daunting, but once we got on a roll it quickly became enjoyable. Being able to have those face-to-face meetings with the people we work alongside is the highlight. Seeing people able to exit the streets into very nice hotel rooms and even some of the EU nationals getting settled status and applying for benefits is an excellent result, and something they probably wouldn’t have accessed without our support.

Lockdown has been tough, but it has definitely helped me see the good we do for the people who need us and made the whole situation a lot easier. If lockdown hadn’t happened the majority of these people would still be in the same situation they were before all this wonderful work was done.

Knowing I am doing so much good for the people who need it most has definitely helped me cope through this.