Sarah is a Home in Place SDA Relations Officer based in Newcastle. One of her key roles is property inspections to ensure residents’ homes are up to standard and well maintained.

Sarah says it was a long week but she loved every minute, particularly meeting residents at their homes.

“Helping residents to live independently and happily is why I do what I do,” Sarah says.

“That is evident when residents want to show me around their home and share stories and aspects of their lives with me,” she says.

“Our SDA residents are my motivation and inspiration.”

“My main role is liaising with SILs and the property inspections, but I take every chance I get to have a cuppa with residents and to speak with them about what’s happening in their lives.”

Good working relationships with SILs is vital for the Home in Place SDA team but more importantly for residents.

“Our common goal of serving residents makes for a good relationship.”

Sarah has worked for our SDA team for three years but worked in Home in Place’s social housing team for five years prior.

“I have always enjoyed my work but when I moved to the SDA team I fell in love with my work, fell into my niche.”

Something most residents and colleagues don’t know about Sarah is she has played classical piano since the age of four. Conservatorium and Yamaha taught; she loves playing anything by Chopin. But the piece of music she most likes to play is Cavatina.

“It is not classical; it was in the movie Deer Hunter. Cavatina was my dad’s favourite so it has sentimental meaning for me.”