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Rhian Waygood, IT Business Partner Team Leader, takes us through a typical day at Coastal Housing. I’ve worked at Coastal Housing for over seven years and over six of them I’ve spent in the IT department. Back in July this year, I was promoted to be team leader of our business partner team which had just been expanded to include two others – the ‘team’ had been just me for a while. I contacted Housing Technology to see if they’d be interested in an article about a newly-appointed female manager in IT and I’ll also be doing a talk at the Housing Technology 2020 conference with my colleague Amy Kelly, our lead IT support analyst so if you enjoy this article, please come and have a listen, although our presentation will be slightly different to this as I’ll explain later.  The idea for this article arose after I read an article on wisecampaign.org.uk about how only 16 per cent of IT professionals are female and how the number of female IT technicians has decreased from 19 per cent in 2017 to 17 per cent in 2018. I’m happy to say that I love my job, the work I do really excites me and the team I work with is brilliant. I know that I’m lucky to work in a team which has a 50/50 gender split and we have a female director, but I just don’t like that I have to feel I’m lucky. I’m hoping from this article that my passion for this role will shine through and it’ll encourage the few females within the IT part of the housing sector to stay to further their careers and encourage others to join. So, what do I actually do each day as a newly-appointed IT business partner team leader? When I arrive in the office each morning, the first thing I do is make a cup of tea, search for a space to sit and retrieve my laptop from my locker. Last year we had an office refurbishment so instead of each having our own desk in our own department, we now work in the area most suited to our needs at that time – project, team, quiet or drop-in. I tend to start my day in the project area because we have stand-up desks there which I love, and it also allows my team and the rest of the organisation know that they can approach me – which they all do rather often. I have three meetings arranged today, one is a phone call with a consultant checking in on a project they are developing, the second is with our maintenance team about a new piece of software they’ve seen and the third is with Amy to finalise what we need to do for the Housing Technology 2020 conference and its looming presentation deadline. After finishing my tea, I take a wander to find my team and check if they need anything from me and to discuss what their plans for the day are, normally answering questions from other staff as I make my way over to them. It’s also usually around this time of day that I start to get hungry and consider eating my lunch even though I know I’ll regret it later in the day. As an IT team, we use the Asana project management tool to keep track of where we are with everything; it’s great for a quick overview of what’s happening in the other areas of IT and significantly cuts down on emails which can only be a good thing. It also frees up our team meetings from too many work updates and more about discussions around new ideas or problems that we need to sort out. So after a quick look through Asana and answering a few questions, it’s time for a phone call with a consultant. Happily everything is going to plan on this latest exciting development and it’s on course to be finished by the deadline. I’m keeping it under wraps at the moment because I don’t want to jinx it but I’ll definitely talk about it in a future Housing Technology article. I update Asana with the latest conversations and inform the relevant people who need to know. Amy and I get together to take a look at our talk for Housing Technology 2020 which will be about how the technology sector is starting to change with the increase of females taking up roles and how a stronger workplace can be gained from this. Before we can agree on a title, we come up with three questions: What do we want the audience to learn from our presentation? What do we want to make sure we say? What do we want to make sure we don’t say? From these three questions, we come up with our title – “Can I speak to someone in IT please?” We’re hoping we’ll be able to entice as many of you as possible along to see us – we promise to keep our talk as entertaining and witty as we can! The last item on my list is to have a chat with our maintenance team about a new piece of software that they’ve come across which checks and stores CP12s and electrical certificates. We use PanConnect to do our CP12s and are currently developing an electrical certificate task with them. This new piece of software would enhance what we already do and allow the gas and electrical team leaders more time to concentrate on the great work that they do. It’s agreed that we’ll write a business case and make a few enquires. So that’s it, I’ve had some lunch and a few more cups of tea in the middle of it all. A chat about holidays because it’s my favourite topic to talk about and answered many questions in between what I’ve talked about here, from the simple, “Can Wrapp [our HMS] do this?” (most probably, yes), to the more complicated, “Can you tell me how many of my UC claimants have co-habitants under the age of 16? Rhian Waygood is the IT Business Partner Team Leader at Coastal Housing. https://www.coastalha.co.uk/ If you'd like to share your housing sector experience, all you need to do is get in touch at recruitment@housing-technology.com.

Holly Rafique, Head of Digital at #techmums, discusses the importance of encouraging mums to embrace digital skills and get involved in digital inclusion programmes. There are countless organisations and initiatives aimed at achieving this, ranging from addressing the gender imbalance when selecting further education, through to making it easier for women to return to work after a career break. These are all commendable activities, and yet the figures don’t seem to be changing. In a recent report by PwC, only 27 per cent of young women said that they would consider a career in technology and only three per cent said that technology was their first choice of career. The reality is that women fill only 17 per cent of all the jobs in technology. Some of that is just a matter of time, so we should have patience to see the results of better inclusivity and awareness in school children, but in part it seems that society is treating the symptoms rather than addressing the underlying problem; women and girls do not see where they fit into the technology sector. There remains the perception of a white male playing computer games; even when we know the stereotype isn’t the truth, it is still hard to dispel it. At #techmums, we want to change this; we want to rewrite the narrative to ask “how can we bring technology into more women’s lives?” By reframing the problem this way, we can immediately widen our audience to include all women and all households. We are not insisting that women abandon other industries and passions but, instead, we are encouraging them to think about how they can use new technologies creatively to enhance what they are already passionate about. Embracing digital literacy For many of us, the internet is an integral and pervasive part of our lives in modern society. We rely on it to support and enhance our lives in an increasing number of subtle ways. It allows us to work remotely and flexibly, promoting a better work-life balance and making a career a more feasible possibility. We stay in touch with family, friends and colleagues who might be abroad or outside our immediate locale. For those of us with communication difficulties, it gives us an alternative to the dreaded phone call. We can monitor our expenditure and are not restricted to the products and prices in our local neighbourhoods. Digital literacy is now as important a skill for this generation of children as the ability to read and write. They don’t even recognise these devices as computers any more; internet connectivity is as natural to their generation as free-flowing water and electricity is to ours. When we turn on the tap, we expect there to be water, when we turn on a light switch we expect there to be light, when our children turn on a device they expect it to connect to the internet. The internet has opened up our worlds and, with the amount of time we spend using technology, you would expect everyone’s trust and confidence in it to be pretty high, not to mention it leading to equal opportunities for everyone. Except it’s not. It is a sad truth that far too many households are still struggling to engage with technology. Recent data privacy scandals, hoaxes and media hype have lead to fear rather than enthusiasm. Furthermore, most people see their role in technology as being consumers, not creators, subsequently feeling at the mercy of technology. At #techmums, we believe there is one person in the household who can change all this but who is too-often overlooked: mum. Our mission at #techmums is to empower women, their families and communities through technology. The average mum usually puts her children first and is only engaged by technology initiatives in terms of getting her children engaged. We work to change that and show every mum that technology is also for her and that she can benefit so much from having an understanding of technology. The confidence conundrum Many mums suffer from a loss of confidence after having children; no matter how many books you have read or classes you have attended, there is nothing that can quite destroy your confidence like your own tiny little baby who will not stop crying no matter what you do. Then as they grow and you hit new parental challenges, you increasingly feel that you have no idea what you’re doing; you are constantly bombarded with conflicting advice on the ‘right’ parenting approach so it’s not surprising that a large proportion of mums feel powerless. For those mums who were working before having children, they are likely to have missed the introduction of all-pervasive technology in the workplace and now feel that they can’t catch up. These days children pick up digital skills very quickly, with a large number of mums already feeling that their children know far more about technology than they do. Parents want to protect their family from online dangers but they lack the skills to do so and they know it; they become so terrified that a knee-jerk reaction of restricting access to technology seems to be the only option. Challenging the patronising rhetoric Patronised by a world that uses phrases such as ‘mumpreneur’, ‘mom jeans’ and “it’s so easy even your mum could do it”, the whole image of a mum is not dynamic, exciting or intelligent. Hard-working and frazzled certainly, but mums are rarely portrayed as capable and connected. We’ve seen at first hand how a woman’s whole attitude and posture changes when she discovers that she is far more knowledgeable and capable than she originally thought. When you take all these issues together, it’s easy to see why many women have a negative attitude to technology and don’t embrace digital solutions in their home. Digital parenting The beauty of upskilling mothers is that you touch at least two people’s lives – the mum and the child. Children increasingly need access to technology for their homework; they can quickly be left behind if their home is negative towards the use of technology. In addition, parents hold a lot of weight around children’s aspirations and attitudes. Children need their parents to act as their digital guides; someone whom they can trust to teach them to navigate the online world. A child needs to know that their concerns will be met with an understanding attitude and an informed response. Despite family dynamics moving towards a better balance, in many families the mother is still the parent that children interact with the most. Mums tend to organise extra-curricular activities, playdates and camps, and if they don’t understand the benefits of technology then it’s far less likely that they will arrange technology-based activities for their children. Future jobs will almost all require an element of digital awareness, so when parents engage with technology they are furthering their children’s social mobility and career aspirations. Spreading the knowledge Empowering women in technology clearly has a positive impact on the community through increased diversity in the workforce. Not only are diverse teams generally more successful but they are necessary to tackle any unconscious bias in solutions (particularly in artificial intelligence) and to ensure products meet the needs of all members of society. Many products are designed by all-male teams so that the different needs of women are unconsciously missed. Beyond the obvious benefits to communities, educating mothers will also lead to a more sensible community response to potential threats. A lack of understanding leads to fear and hysteria, particularly when the sensationalised news headlines are the main source of information. Incidents such as the recent ‘Momo hoax’, supposedly challenging children to self-harm, and fears over computer game addiction can be far better handled when the women in the community have confidence in their own understanding of technology and its associated risks. #techmums are connecting with mums through a number of digital outreach programmes. In 2018 we launched #techmumsTV in partnership with Home-Start UK and Facebook as a live-streamed chat show to demystify and normalise discussion of technology. The key concept of #techmumsTV was to celebrate young mothers, how they are using technology in their everyday lives, how they are running businesses from their phones and to positively tell their stories, with the other aspect of #techmumsTV being to upskill viewers about online safety, financial technology and increasing knowledge around the technology sector. By using social media and Home-Start centres, we were able to reach demographics of mums who are particularly hard to engage with through other methods. Our new initiative for 2019 is the #techmumsclub, an informal gathering of 20 mums where they are introduced to a wide range of topics from blogging and web design to app design and coding. We currently have five clubs running at various host partner’s across the country and have two more launching after Easter. We work with the 20 mums across a 10-week period, with sessions lasting two hours, usually within the school day. We support partners with facilitator training and provide all course materials and online support throughout the programme. #techmums is also working with the University of Leeds, FutureLearn and Black Tech UK to produce a series of online courses to bring 21st-century workplace digital skills to those who don’t usually engage in online working. By giving mums the foundation digital skills that they are missing, we can help them to pursue their passions and become the positive role models that their children will need as they venture into their digital future. We are confident that these three programmes will bring technology to more women and in turn get more women into technology. Holly Rafique is Head of Digital at #techmums. If you'd like to share your housing sector experience, all you need to do is get in touch at recruitment@housing-technology.com.

Sarah Johnstone has been a neighbourhood coordinator at Thirteen Group for over eight years. Here she gives a snapshot of her day and describes how the lone working device she uses helps her to feel safe when working on her own in Middlesbrough. To try and describe a typical day is difficult because one of the things I like about my job is that no two days are the same. One day I’ll be out inspecting properties, another I’ll be interviewing families who’ve applied for a new home and another day I could be responding to ASB complaints. Although my job is very rewarding, there’s no denying that it can sometimes be tough, and on occasions I find myself faced with challenging behaviour where I need to be reactive and think quickly on my feet. Thankfully, these instances are rare, but it’s on days like those I’m reassured that I go out on every visit with a range of specialised security products. We use a key fob-style device with built-in GPS from Orbis Protect. This is attached to our staff lanyards and slots into a moulded ID badge. We activate the ‘amber’ function on this device every time we visit a customer and this information can be used to identify our location. In the rare event we need to activate the SOS function, the call is monitored and recorded, and this information will be passed to the emergency services if necessary. Thankfully, I don’t need to use it often, but it does give me peace of mind. Early morning A typical day will start at 8am. I arrive in the office, grab a coffee and catch up on emails and paperwork. I’ll then head out to visit customers in some of the 350 properties I look after in Middlesbrough. Before I leave, I’ll familiarise myself with whom I’m visiting, check their details on the system and see if there are any reasons why they shouldn’t be visited alone, in which case I’ll ask a colleague to come along with me. Even if we go out in pairs, we both make sure we use our devices. While I’m visiting customers it’s also a good opportunity for me keep an eye open for any neighbourhood issues such as fly-tipping, minor damage to properties and graffiti. Mid-morning We get 100s of applications for our properties. I get so much satisfaction from helping people who really need a home, find one. I enjoy showing prospective customers around our properties, but for my own safety I always have my device with me and switched on. I’ll normally go back to the office at noon for a spot of lunch which also gives me the chance to catch up with some of my colleagues. Early afternoon One part of the job we thankfully don’t have to do often is carry out evictions; we will only seek legal action as a last resort. We provide a wide range of tailored tenancy support services for customers and only if all attempts to help have been exhausted will we take this action. If it is necessary, I work alongside a fantastic team of professionals including the local police, partners and other colleagues to help make sure this goes as smoothly as possible. Once again, my device is essential, and I will have already alerted Orbis before I arrive, activating the SOS function so I can speak to the call handler and inform them of what I am doing and ask them to keep the line open. They will monitor the call, and if anything escalates where my safety is compromised, they are ready to help and, again, will contact the emergency services and provide them with all the required information. Late afternoon and the end of the day Towards the end of the day, I might have an interview with a customer to discuss a tenancy issue, in one of our office meeting rooms. Where I am, all our rooms have CCTV and panic alarms, plus I can use my device during interviews too. It’s also useful for walking to and from my car and I like the fact I can activate it if I feel vulnerable, speak to someone and tell them when I am safely inside my vehicle. Peace of mind Over my eight-year career as a neighbourhood co-ordinator, I do think that being a lone worker has become safer than ever. Orbis’s discrete alarms really offer peace of mind and the alarm-receiving centre is so valuable. Knowing there’s someone at the end of the device to listen, able to locate me using GPS and can get the emergency services to me if needed, feels very comforting as a lone worker. I’m passionate about safety, and I regularly attend training sessions for colleagues, sharing my experience and showing them how to use these safety products.  Being a lone worker has the potential to be challenging, but it’s encouraging to know that Thirteen ensures there are support systems in place for my safety and wellbeing. Sarah Johnstone is a neighbourhood coordinator at Thirteen Group. https://www.thirteengroup.co.uk/ If you'd like to share your housing sector experience, all you need to do is get in touch at recruitment@housing-technology.com.