whg community work draws Emily back to her roots

Published by kerri smith for whg in Housing and also in Communities

An Oxford university student is putting theory into practice after securing a seven month placement with leading Midlands’ housing provider whg.

Emily Harland left Walsall to study for a degree in social work at Oxford Brookes University and has returned to her home town to complete the third year work placement.

The 20-year-old, born and bred in central Walsall, snapped up the opportunity to work as part of whg’s award-winning Regeneration Team. The team works closely with the local community with the aim of engaging and empowering those most vulnerable and hard-to-reach.

Part of Emily’s role is supporting whg’s Community Champions, who use their local knowledge and networks to identify and befriend people within their own community. The champions task is then to encourage residents to access relevant services to improve their quality of life and realise their potential.

Emily, due to graduate in May, said: “I’ve brought new ideas to the table and am working on an innovative approach to engage with some of the borough’s most vulnerable groups, the elderly and young people.

“So far, we’ve worked with more than 50 families with great success. The aim overall is to bridge the gap between residents and services so everyone can benefit from what is on offer in the community.”

The undergraduate is enjoying the chance to apply the theory she has learnt in years one and two at university and also to learn from whg colleagues experienced in the field.

“This placement is invaluable to me, the hands-on experience has taught me how to recognise the signs of those in need and identify how we can best meet those needs.”

Emily added that working at whg, which houses one fifth of the borough’s population, was a golden opportunity for a local girl. “The chance to make a difference in Walsall means a lot. I hope, once qualified, to return to whg to make a real and long-term difference to children and families in this area.”

Part of her challenge is to create a process which requires each and every situation to be considered individually. An example of this work in practice was the whg Christmas hampers, which contained food items and a board game and were hand-delivered to selected Walsall families.

“A lot of thought went into what we pack inside the hampers and the idea behind the board game was encouraging traditional family fun. I’m pleased to report they were very well-received,” said Emily.

Connie Jennings, whg Regeneration Programme Manager, said providing a placement for the future social worker had been a real win-win situation. “Emily has gained valuable experience about the realities for people who live in difficult circumstances and we have learnt how, as a regeneration programme, we maximize partnership opportunities with our colleagues in Social Services.

“In addition, there is a crucial benefit to Walsall. Given the regeneration aspirations for the borough, it is important that local young people who go onto higher education return to Walsall to contribute to it being a great place to live and work. For all these reasons, we hope to welcome Emily back once she has completed her qualification. She has been a real asset and we wish her well in her future role.”