Bentown Housing Association is a social landlord charity that owns and manages around 6,000 properties in the south of the UK. Employing around 650 people, it is a quasi-government body that provides housing services in areas of social deprivation. A high percentage of its customers are from ethnic minority groups and over 20 per cent have English as a second language. Almost 90 per cent are in receipt of some form of government benefit and local unemployment is twice the national average. Many of its customers have little or no choice over their housing. The alternatives are relatively expensive private rented accommodation, short-term hostel accommodation or living rough on the streets. Although most customers are well behaved, a minority are difficult and can be abusive and threatening.

Most of our customers are good. However, some customers are very difficult to manage. This is sometimes due to their expectation of service levels being higher than we are required to, or indeed can, provide for them. Often this is because they don’t understand what we can or can’t do, although there are clear service standards expressed in our tenancy agreements with our customers. This can make our dealings with customers difficult. They can be frustrated, anxious, demanding and occasionally aggressive to customer-facing staff, who generally do a fantastic job. The staff are professional and dedicated and often choose to work in the not-for-profit sector through a sense of social purpose.

(John Boot, Bentown Housing Association Service Manager)

What could Bentown Housing Association do to minimise work-related stress in its front-line staff?