Hi I'm Nick. I joined in 2007 on a 12-month contract as the first ever Graduate Trainee employed by the business - well, I'm still here!
I've been on quite a journey over that time, gaining experience across different roles and absorbing as much knowledge about social housing as possible. But since 2014 the focus has been communications and how, when done well, they have the power to build relationships, transform brands, and improve customer satisfaction.
Working in Comms is a true passion of mine. I don’t claim to be the best at it and never will. My spelling is atrocious (I had to Google how to spell atrocious!), and I’m always looking to improve the way I do things to make sure PA's communications are honest, accessible, and most importantly human. It's vital we remember the impact our communications and messages can have on the person receiving them, and adapting our tone-of-voice to deliver that message has been a key focus of my work over the past few years.
We're on a journey to change things at PA, and the improvements my team and I have made to how we communicate with residents is already starting to have an impact. Feedback we're receiving from residents is encouraging and shows that we're being more consistent in our approach, listening to their views and tailoring our communications accordingly.
Throughout this time the organisation has supported me, recognising my talent and investing in me to 'grow their own' member of the leadership team. This has allowed me to not only hone my skills, knowledge, and experience but also build my confidence in my own abilities. By the business allowing my opinions to be heard, I've seen the value I can bring and the difference I can make. This has hopefully inspired other colleagues too.
In 2021, I was nominated for Inspirational Colleague of the Year at the Housing Heroes Awards. My colleagues at PA nominated me without my knowledge in recognition of my efforts to improve communications during the COVID-19 pandemic. Externally my work helped keep our residents informed, helped them understand the changes being made, the safety measures we were implementing, and which services we could or couldn’t deliver. Internally it helped to keep a physically-divided workforce united, a confused workforce informed, and an uncertain workforce reassured and motivated. I didn't win, but was truly honoured to have been recognised by my peers, and the wider social housing sector, for my work and for the importance Comms can play.
My time at PA (and it's legacy organisations) has not been without it's challenges, and I have spoken very openly about my struggles with poor mental health over the years. Some of it was work related stress under previous leadership at the organisation, some was linked to the death of my father, and some was, and continues to be, linked to unresolved childhood trauma. In the past two years though, I've been encouraged to discuss these challenges at work, becoming an advocate for others to open up about their mental health journey and providing a safe space for colleagues. We must end the stigma of poor mental health, especially amongst men, and realise that there is no shame in admitting you need help. This includes at the workplace and I'm proud my honesty and openness about some of my struggles has helped others at PA to feel supported and seek the help they need.
People often ask me why I've chosen to work for the same company for so long, wondering if I have become institutionalised. But it doesn't feel like I've worked for the same company for all that time, despite the obvious changes following mergers, we're a totally different organisation compared to when I started all those years ago. Our ethos, our values, and now our leadership set us aside as a place I want to stay working. My colleagues are also a key part of my decision, some of them have been here as long as me (or longer), some are much newer, but what binds us together is a people first approach and a desire to be the best we can be, for not only the organisation, but for our residents.
Outside of work, I'm a keen distance runner having taken part in over 70 running events, including completing the London Marathon in 2022, raising nearly £3,000 for the Alzheimer's Society in honour of my late father. I'm a keen traveller and have been lucky enough to explore large parts of Europe, Asia, and Australasia over the years...and I'm also completely addicted to coffee, on average, drink 10 cups a day!
