In each ERoSH ezine we speak to different members and trustees to find out more about their involvement with the organisation.
This month we spoke to Mike Turner, development director at Ian Williams, a facilities management company. Ian Williams joined ERoSH in February 2010 and since becoming a member the company has worked with ERoSH on several joint projects to champion best practice in delivering services to meet the needs of older people.
Why did you get involved with ERoSH?
We identified that an increasing volume of the work we are delivering involves older people’s housing and we wanted to ensure we are meeting the needs of this group. We knew ERoSH was an influential organisation which would give us the ability to share best practice and understand more closely the needs of residents and organisations providing older people’s housing and support services.
What are the benefits of being involved?
We have developed a greater understanding of the needs of older people and that helps us to develop the services we provide. The regional meetings provide good networking opportunities and the ability to form partnerships with people with similar interests and visions. As a service provider it has been useful to connect with key decision makers in the sector to understand their priorities.
Why would you recommend people get involved?
ERoSH provides a great platform to connect people with similar aims to achieve best practice in delivering housing and support services to older people. The organisation is well connected with government so the access it has to policy making is of benefit to its members.
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the sector at the moment?
Everyone is facing the challenge of delivering more for less, which means maintaining core services on reduced budgets. The challenge for us is how we can work together to find ways in which we can drive greater efficiency rather than just procuring the lowest price.
What are you most proud of – personal or professionally?
Our work with ERoSH around meeting the diverse needs of older people has meant Ian Williams was the first facilities management company to develop portable hearing loops for our operatives to use. The insight we have had into older people’s housing and support through our membership has led to us working in an innovative way to provide services for people who are hard of hearing.
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