With cautious optimism and the team having their vaccines, like many businesses we are eager to return to time spent face to face. We are in the business of building relationships and with all due caution and safety measures in place, will be returning we hope in the following phased way:

12th April – maximum 50% occupancy in our offices (this is four of us across three large rooms) so we can plot, plan and have those all important off the cuff conversations and laughter once more

3rd May – starting to meet external colleagues face to face for outside (and our balcony!) meetings

17th May – phased and socially distanced face to face delivery resumes

All these plans remain under review, are subject to Government guidance and in constant consultation with our team, our partners and those we support.

But we can’t wait to see you again and for it to be normal to think nothing of chatting over a pot of coffee! Take care and stay safe.

How you’ll find you fit into Your Own Place and YOPAB no matter who you are!

My name is Chanel and I am going to take you down my journey through Your Own Place (YOP) and their Advisory Board (YOPAB).

It all started when I was sitting down with my leaving care advisor and I mentioned that I wanted to leave my mark on the planet and be remembered as someone that made a difference in to someone’s life like she had mine. 

P.S. my leaving care advisor was incredible. 

She had mentioned to me that Rebecca the CEO and founder of YOP had been into the office they worked in and had spoken about offering any leaving care individuals a ‘mentor’ to help them move through their transition of young adulthood with their mentoring skills.

My social worker contacted Rebecca and explained that I didn’t necessarily need a mentor, but that she felt I would be an incredible mentor. My foot was officially in the door as people would say. After that I went through the mentor training with Simone, another incredible member of the team. Shortly after this Rebecca approached me and explained that YOP was planning of putting together an Advisory Board with a large percentage of these members being young adults that had first-hand experiences of the company. I of course said yes, I mean how could I not. I already knew what incredible work YOP had done in our community through the mentors let alone all the other services we provide.

I just want to stop here to say how incredibly welcome I felt through it all. I was under age for the age bracket of mentors (they like you to ideally be 21 minimum age, but that doesn’t mean you can’t, it more of an ideal because some young people might think a mentor the same age as them won’t take you seriously) and then with Rebecca coming to me personally, offering me the opportunity of a lifetime to join their team and help them make a different in the community and help others in a much bigger way. 

That’s what is amazing about the team at Your Own Place they never stop seeing the potential in everyone and they really push you to be the best you can be.

They bring something out in you that you may have not even seen until you get to know the team and they tease it out of you.

So as a way of us new YOPAB members getting to know each other we went on a residential trip to Cromer for a weekend in August 2018. We did so many fun activities it was a crazy weekend. If you ever get to witness one of our fun filled YOPAB meetings and you meet one of our original members, then ask any questions about that weekend and you will soon see the joy on our faces looking back on that time we spent together. Joining forces to make a bigger better difference for our local communities. We did activities like laser tag in the woods, wall climbing, nature walks. We also got on with some work, we didn’t just do fun stuff all weekend, although the workshops we did were also so much fun. That’s the thing about YOP they make learning and work fun. 

Throughout my time at YOP and on the YOPAB team it’s never really felt like work, it’s always been fun.

If you were to ask me about an achievement that I have made while at YOP the list would be endless. One thing that always comes to mind is when Rebecca approached me and asked if I would sit on the interview panel when we wanted to appoint someone to solely look over YOPAB. 

The sense of respect that came with this was immense and the fact that I felt truly part of the bigger team. Through the entire process every word that I had to say about each candidate was taken fully on board and I am happy to say we all came together and agreed on the best man for the job. When you’re reading this, you might even find he is still on our team today. 

We appointed Tom to be in charge of our crazy group of inspirational members. He is what we like to call ‘a diamond in the rough’ as well quote from the Disney movie Aladdin.

There was also the time throughout the initial lockdown of 2020 where the YOPAB team were asked to sit and evaluate each taster session of DigiTILS+. To be part of something so big within the company was a huge honour and sense of responsibility because we were looking at each session to see what needed changing to allow the team to truly deliver the best possible sessions they could over Zoom. I am happy to say that we all worked together as a team and it worked brilliantly. 

I guess I would like to round this off really by saying that throughout my time at YOP and on the YOPAB team I have grow to find talents in myself I didn’t know I had, a stronger appreciation for the little things in life that keep our communities standing of their legs and that no matter how little of a suggestion you might have towards an idea, there is always someone at Your Own Place that will listen and try to make your idea a reality. They truly are a team with hearts bigger than they believe. 

If you ever get to meet part of the YOP or YOPAB team in person or online you may never know how much hard work and behind the scenes work goes into everything we do, but we do it knowing we do it for our community to ensure we leave behind something better than what there once was. 

Better yet if you find that you get the opportunity to join any one of the incredible teams then you’ll find qualities of yourself you never knew you had and how you’ll fit right in with the rest of the team.

They will see something special in you are make sure you use it to the best of your abilities and they won’t hold you back.

We’ve spoken before, haven’t we about my lack of a plan, my fear of failure and that if I go public, well, people will know about the failure? You’ll be pleased to know that this particular ailment is getting better – oddly thanks to the nightmare that was 2020. There’s somehow an equality of failure now – when it’s so s^&* for so many, maybe being found out to be s^&* is the true great leveller.

In a year when you can only get it wrong, be on the back foot as well gaining some perspective on your own ego, you may as well put yourself out there. And that’s what I’m doing. Part and parcel of putting oneself out there is just caring a teeny bit less about what other people think. And with everyone so preoccupied on other stuff, I can be fairly certain they’re not thinking about me nearly as much as I am. (I know Your Own Place isn’t about me and that there’s there six incredible people, but trust me, if you’re a founder CEO it IS part of you!).

Happier than ever that my time is best spent on those that can be won over or are already our champions, (and not the 20% who for whatever reason will never be) it’s possible to be liberated. Once liberated, you can share and shout with abandon. And then listen – because that’s where the learning magic happens.

With our digital offer, whether our digital tenancy training, supporting our sector in taking their own training online, or our over-subscribed eMentoring Training, all last year I kept telling myself it was good. Damn good! If you follow us you’ll know the team are amazing, positive and that we push above our weight on social media. Social media risks being an echo chamber though, so how can we really find out how we compare, now that we’re being big and brave? We have to put it out there and then dare to ask!

So, I was thrilled with the turnout at a recent Homes for Cathy event. With over twenty housing associations in the room on a Friday afternoon we were already onto a good thing. There were challenges, niggles, questions and overwhelming positivity about our offer, our online skills, the approach of the team and most importantly, its relevance in the marketplace we’re aiming for – homelessness prevention.

And the best bit? Is that I have a plan. I’ve now spoken to almost everyone that attended and set up follow-up meetings, so I can really get their feedback, be sure what we’re getting right and alter what we’re not (or politely disagree). And most important of all this grownupness, is that it means we can reach more people with an offer I’ve known for seven years in my heart of hearts makes a difference – in the knowledge that by going public it will keep getting better!

• Your Own Place CIC and Hopestead have joined up with a goal of preventing homelessness and helping people to keep their home

• Through their partnership, bespoke, fun, and engaging training will be offered to Flagship Group tenants from April

• The training has been designed collaboratively and will allow delegates to gain skills and feel empowered to overcome barriers.

A new partnership between charity Hopestead and ourselves will seek to prevent homelessness and support people to keep their homes.

We have teamed up to create bespoke training courses that will allow trainees to gain a tenancy, learn independent living skills, and develop financial resilience. 

The sessions, which will begin in April, will be open to Flagship Group customers: Hopestead is a part of the group.

The interactive, engaging, and – above all – fun, workshops have been developed over six months through close collaboration between the Hopestead and Your Own Place teams. Themes covered by the training will include tenancy responsibilities, money management, and self-care.

The training has been tailored specifically for Flagship tenants and will combine both face to face and digital learning, in line with any government restrictions at the time due to the pandemic.

Hopestead’s vision is to end homelessness in the East of England and central to that is taking steps to mitigate homelessness, long before it becomes a threat. Marie-Claire Delbrouque, MD of Hopestead explained:

“We believe that we need to do more to prevent homelessness, taking action before it becomes a risk. By tackling  the root causes of homelessness and empowering people to take control and overcome the barriers that are in their way, we can stop homelessness becoming a reality for so many.  

“And, a fundamental aspect of prevention is working to ensure homes are not lost due to rent arrears and poor money management. 

“Which is why our new partnership with Your Own Place, a fantastic organisation with which we share common goals, is so crucial.  Together, we can offer targeted support to help people to get and keep a home. Because we believe everyone deserves a place to call home.”

Our goal is to seek new solutions to old homelessness problems, and prevent homelessness. Rebecca White, Chief Executive, said: 

“Sometimes an organisation comes along that just chimes with your approach.  This was the case with Hopestead.  Together we aim to end homelessness. We couldn’t be more delighted to be working with Hopestead for the benefit of Flagship tenants.  

“Now more than ever, ending homelessness matters.  Now more than ever, people are finding themselves in incredibly precarious situations not of their own making.  Through our uniquely innovative and engaging digital and face to face Tenancy & Independent Living Skills Training, we will see tenants feeling more confident with their money, better able to get help, make new connections, feel empowered to solve their own challenges and take steps forward. 

“They will know that they are not alone, be able to get things like finances on track, keep their home and avoid future evictions and homelessness.”

Whether you’re organising the family holiday (I wish), running the local choir, or in my case, a social enterprise, there’s simply no alternative. 

Doing so isn’t easy or quick. By definition, more people means more time. Additionally, many people in my situation are lone-wolves and it might not come naturally to us. We have an idea and before we know it, we’re a busy ‘social entrepreneur’ running a business. This is exactly what happened in 2013 and for two and half years it remained just me and my echo. 

Recalling the tough winters without an office, the tougher ones without personal support or the solace of a plurality of views, I spent my time ‘doing’ instead of thinking. In hindsight and without knowing it was not the wrong thing to be doing, I was finessing and iterating an idea that seven years on we’re still finessing, but is bloody good. But I was doing it without input from others. At The School for Social Entrepreneurs I’d learned of those setting up their business with a partner or friend who shared a passion. All too often things had gone a little awry and my envy dissipated and the self-reliance felt vindicated. 

With no particular ambitions to be a consultant or sole trader, I knew we’d have to grow the team to grow our impact. Lucky as I am to have a quiet confidence in my ability to make fairly sensible decisions, it seems unlikely that I get it right all the time. Sense checking my decisions and getting new ideas are reason enough for involving more views.  This in turn requires us to be comfortable with dissenting opinions and to have the empathy to appreciate someone else’s truth.

Everyone remembers their first ‘hire’. Alex came bouncing in with passion, commitment and phenomenal spreadsheet skills. Of course I’d managed people before, but not in a business of two that I’d created. This time it felt like I was giving away 50% of my power. That I’m a control freak probably in large part comes with the lone-wolf entrepreneur territory. This isn’t always a bad trait either – it results in an eye for quality and standards. 

The desire for a flat organisational structure meant that Alex wasn’t my junior in an obvious sense. That first hire wasn’t just a second voice, they had to be an equal voice. Nonetheless her very presence meant two big things. It meant that decisions I made didn’t just impact on me and that I’d have to figure out how to meaningfully involve her. 

In our sector this comes up a lot with regards people with ‘lived experience’, in our case of homelessness, having an influence on what we do and ultimately making us a better business.  There is some brilliant practice around, not least among housing associations, that often feels overlooked. In the private sector it comes up a lot too – packaged as employee engagement. 

Employee engagement and ‘user voice’ (a term I loathe) are two sides of the same coin.  It is because we are founded on equity, that this feels right. Much as our sector likes to parcel people up and label them, whether employees, tenants or those that benefit from our service, they are people deserving of equal voice, influence and respect. 

My challenge as other team members arrived in 2017 was how to make this more than simple bonhomie, going for a coffee and intermittent listening. It needs to become something formalised, but not so formalised that we wrap ourselves up in ‘employee engagement’ policies. 

Policies did of course start to appear (we now have 34).  As a business grows its infrastructure this is necessary to keep people safe and working life fair. They are written with all our people and values in mind. I can’t remember who said it to me first in my career, but the guiding principle for our communications is that we’d never say or write anything that I wouldn’t be totally happy sharing externally without edit or redaction. 

As we recruit out eighth team member we will also turn eight this year. Gaining people’s voice and influence when small is relatively easy. As we grow, greater clarity and total honesty is needed on what is a consultation and co-production with opportunity to influence and what isn’t.

The principle of equality of voice is passionately true with our own Your Own Place Advisory Board (YOPAB), a group of people with lived experience that have flourished under Tom’s compassionate, gentle and honest approach to their involvement. 

It is too easy to ask simply for opinions because in reality you’ve already made a decision in your head. It’s so much harder to leave the sheet of paper blank and give free reign to ideas. Harder still to implement them and let people know that it was THEIR idea and not yours.

Acutely aware of just how narrow my life experience has been, as I age I have never been more aware of how little I have lived and how much we have to gain by involving others in every aspect of influence and decision-making. Another argument for a broad diversity of voices.  Whenever I am making a decision I ask myself ‘what is the likelihood that this only impacts on me and that someone else doesn’t have a good idea?’  Generally it’s pretty low and a phone-call to the team ALWAYS confirms this and is worth the time.

The podcast below is what happens when you ask your people to come up with content for a business Handbook.

I wouldn’t have thought of that.