Dedicated Julie wins top award for helping people get back on feet
HOUSING TRUST MANAGER PRAISED BY BOSSES
LEADERS of a Derby housing trust are “over the moon” to see a caring staff member win national recognition for her work helping people going through tough situations get back on their feet.
Julie Howells, head of employability services at Derventio Housing Trust, won the Frontline Manager of the Year category of the Employment Related Services Association (ERSA) awards, one of only five people shortlisted.
The awards, which were held virtually on November 25, celebrated the unsung heroes who work to improve the lives of jobseekers, communities and the wider workforce across the UK.
More than 200 nominations were sent in from across the private, voluntary, social enterprise and public sectors. An in-person ceremony is planned for January next year – Covid permitting.
Derventio Housing Trust is a Derbyshire organisation providing housing, support and specialist projects to people going through troubled times in their lives. Many face a range of problems including poor mental health, isolation from family, and issues with substance use.
As part of her role, Julie has set up four services with the aim of helping people get economically active again. One of these, Talent
Match, has supported 222 young people.
She manages a team of 14 people across three projects, and helps everyone fulfil their potential, whether it is their first job or they have years of experience. The trust said that in this team alone, Julie’s support has led to two people going on to become social workers.
People helped by Julie over the years, along with her team, paid tribute to her calm, unflappable attitude and unwavering support in helping them during difficult times in their lives.
Jackie Carpenter, assistant director of strategy at Derventio, said: “We are absolutely over the moon to see Julie’s hard work, dedication and amazing qualities justly rewarded. We have always known that she is a special lady and it’s nice that she has now won national recognition.
“There were hundreds of entries to these awards, so it’s quite an accolade. The other nominees were amazing too.
“Everyone is unstinting in their praise for Julie and the employability service that she set up and runs.
“The best thing I ever did for Derventio was to ask Julie to come and join us. The work she does is nothing short of remarkable.”
Julie, who works from Derventio’s office in Ilkeston, said she enjoyed the satisfaction of seeing someone coming from a low ebb to being economically active again and said her nomination was all down to the hard work of her team.
One of the many people she has helped over the years is Stephen Fletcher, of Riddings. Facing homelessness because he struggled with the paperwork to get himself a new place to live, Stephen credits Julie with helping him turn his life around.
As soon as he was referred to Derventio, Julie took Stephen under her wing. Her support included getting him a bank account, hiring a removal firm, sorting housing benefit, registering him for council tax and utilities, and even helping furnish his new home.
The work she does is nothing short of remarkable.
Jackie Carpenter