Nicola Abernethy

Having been a part of Wheatley Homes Glasgow for over 17 years, I have undertaken various roles, including Modern Apprentice, Customer Service Officer, Housing Officer, and, most recently, a temporary position as Academy Housing Training Specialist Due to my skills and experience, I can demonstrate the following knowledge and outputs relevant to the role:

1-2-1 Support/Coaching
I have worked with both current and new frontline staff on a 1-2-1 basis, providing tailored support to help individuals overcome job-related challenges and identify their key strengths This was excellent opportunity being able to help colleagues tackle challenges in their role, break down barriers and boost their patch performance

Over the period from 01/03/2023 to 28/02/2024, I conducted a total of 399 coaching sessions The feedback received has been extremely positive, highlighting the crucial business need for such support going forward

New Housing Officer Training Plan
Ensuring new Housing Officers are set up for success is a value I uphold as a Wheatley Group employee Leveraging my frontline housing experience, I have supported new staff in key performance areas such as rents, voids, allocations, and ASB, including accompanying them on visits This approach reassures new employees and provides them with the confidence to reach out to the Academy Team when needed

4-Week Performance Plan (Coaching)
We introduced a 4-week performance plan to assist Housing Officers whose performance required improvement, often staff were referred by Locality Housing Directors or Heads of Housing This plan focused on specific performance indicators and involved 1-2-1 coaching to help staff enhance their behaviours and time management skills, ultimately improving their patch performance

Classroom Delivery
Early in my role with the Academy Team, I challenged myself to deliver systems and policy training in housing Despite stepping out of my comfort zone, I successfully utilized my knowledge and expertise to deliver engaging and effective training sessions This role allowed me to meet various colleagues and share best practices, making it one of the most rewarding aspects of the job

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)
Through training with Diversity Scotland, I gained valuable insights and practical skills in addressing complex EDI topics This enabled me to effectively assist in delivering EDI sessions within Wheatley, fostering open and respectful environments for meaningful dialogue The feedback I received was overwhelmingly positive and highlighted my ability to engage participants and create constructive learning experiences

My Academy/Adapt (E-Learning)
In my role, I managed My Academy attendance records and other administrative tasks I quickly became proficient in navigating the systems and creating mini e-learning modules on RISE and ADAPT I successfully transferred an e-learning module from RISE to ADAPT, and continually kept myself updated with policy changes to ensure accurate training delivery My ability to create training plans, update e-learning modules, and assist in content creation has significantly contributed to the success of our training programs

Over the years, I have built strong relationships with colleagues across the Wheatley Group and beyond, attending the Rents COE as well as networking has allowed me to stay updated with current legislation and practices Recently, I collaborated with a governance team colleague to update our Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion e-learning module In the Academy Team, I worked collaboratively and provided excellent training, enabling colleagues to deliver our services professionally, an example being the delivery of Safer Communities system delivered across all subsidiaries where I assisted in creating new content for the future delivery sessions for frontline staff

Being organized is crucial in this role, and I consistently demonstrate excellence by being efficient, punctual, and prioritizing tasks effectively utilising time management skills I have gained throughout my career in housing Employing ‘Think Yes’ I am committed to streamlining and finding innovative methods to help me stay motivated and energized throughout the workday

I am a committed worker and team player, ensuring my duties and responsibilities are completed to the highest standard within timescales My organisational and IT skills have always benefited my work and team collaboration I easily adapt to new ways of working, continuously learning and gaining knowledge to deliver customer excellence I regularly receive positive feedback from colleagues and peers for my work and commitment, reinforcing my status as a valued team member