Written by:
Sophia de Sousa
One of the roles that seems to have become increasingly rare over recent years, particularly in the context of housing, is that of the caretaker. It used to be that blocks of flats and housing estates, particularly in social housing, had a caretaker – a dedicated member of staff who (sometimes lived on site) and was the first point of contact for people who had any issues with their homes. The caretaker was the organisations’ eyes and ears on the ground, reporting issues back to head office and generally keeping an eye on things. Sometimes these caretakers took on basic cleaning and maintenance tasks, such as changing lightbulbs and cleaning communal areas, others managed contractors to do these tasks. Caretakers could report significant repairs required, such as to lifts, and liaise directly with both the management company and the engineers. The caretaker was effectively tasked with taking care of the premises.
However, caretakers do so much more than that. Caretakers become the person within every community who knows most of the people there, who might spot when an individual or a family is going through a difficult time and needs support. They often become the confidant of many and, particularly for those who lived alone, the friendly face who can make time for a chat.
This may be a highly romanticised view, but as caretakers have become increasingly rare, I have witnessed several examples of situations on housing estates, where the presence of this role would have made a huge difference.
I heard a shocking story of a vulnerable resident living in sheltered housing for older people in London who, one weekend, got locked out of her flat. Though there was a staff office on site, it was closed for the weekend, so she was instructed to contact the key-holding company, which had a call centre based in Scotland. The long and short of it was that this poor woman spent hours on the phone trying to identify the right key to access and how it could reach her. Eventually, having been locked out of her home for several hours, she gave up and called a local locksmith on an emergency call-out rate. The locksmith had to dismantle and change the lock on her door and charged her hundreds of pounds. An on-site caretaker able to support residents outside office hours, with a set of master keys, could have resolved this in a matter of minutes.
On another occasion, I had a revealing conversation with young children on a walkabout with them and other residents of a housing estate in Leeds. It was a neighbourhood that benefitted from a good amount of green space, including a lovely big hill, which immediately made me think of rolling down hills as a child. I asked the children if they did this, and a little girl told me that though the children wanted to roll down this steep grassy hill, they didn’t because litter tended to gather at the bottom of the hill and this often included broken glass. When this was brought to the attention of the management, the litter was eventually cleared and the children got back to playing on the hill. Until the litter piled up again. A caretaker on site could have spotted the litter, who was littering, and the fact that it was compromising children’s play, and could have dealt with it with a quick sweep.
Another recent example is of a tenant in a new block of flats trying to get a smart meter installed to track their energy consumption. Despite having asked the housing association staff to be ready to help them find the appropriate access, when the electrical engineer showed up, no one who worked in the office knew where the relevant cupboard was located. When they did find it, they could not lay their hands on the right key to open it. Six visits later, and the smart meter was still not installed, largely because no one on staff holds that kind of detailed knowledge of the building.
The story that convinces me the most, however, is not about the nuts and bolts of the building, but about caring for the people who live there. In one instance, an elderly resident suffered an episode and found herself sitting on a bench outside the front door to her building, having lost an hour and with no recollection of how she got there. When she came round, she found an ambulance ready to help her, thanks to the caretaker who had spotted her and was concerned that she did not seem her usual self. Many had passed her and assumed she was simply sitting on the bench enjoying the morning sunshine, but the caretaker who knew her habits and spoke to her regularly, could immediately tell that something was wrong.
I just can’t understand why there aren’t more caretakers in place, and frankly don’t believe that they don’t make good business sense. I wondered whether anyone has done some research on their value and came across some interesting research referenced by the Local Government Chronical archive (Housing Research 223 – September).
The piece was exploring the value of an “advanced role for caretakers” and references a project carried out by PEP that explored how the Scandinavian model of caretaking “caretaking plus” could be applied to social housing in the UK. This model employs a multi-skilled member of staff able to take on cleaning, repairs and other jobs quickly and effectively. Pilot studies were carried out, and one within a housing association found that the cost of repairs was halved compared to calling in contractors. It also found that fewer problems escalated as they were dealt with quickly and efficiently. The caretaker was also able to have informal conversations with residents who were behind on their rent, to keep an eye on empty properties and provide an invaluable point of contact for administrative staff.
The researchers identified another benefit of the “caretaker plus” approach, which was that this local presence could encourage and enable residents and local people to play a more active role in caring for and improving the neighbourhood. I have seen this in our work, where a caretaker able to share tools and to help residents has led to some wonderful community gardening and food growing projects.
So let’s have a cheer for the unsung hero, the caretaker, and encourage housing providers to bring them back, whether as resident caretakers or simply as a designated multi-skilled member of staff. It is people who make places thrive, and it seems to me that the advantages of a caretaker make it a role worth investing in and protecting.
This blog was inspired by the theme of one of our upcoming WEdesign in-person events, Communities of Care, in Newcastle on 24 March, in partnership with tutors and students from Newcastle University. There are still free tickets available so come and join the conversation and co-design activities exploring resource sharing, mutual support, and the collective well-being in places and communities.