Name: Paul Belbin

Title: Service Director

Organisation: Foundation Housing

Client Group: Single homeless, ex-offenders, young people at risk, teenage parents, and those with drug and/or alcohol issues

Job Description: Responsible for homeless services in Leeds, and all services in
York & Selby. I am also a member of the organisation's senior management team, which means that I have shared responsibility for all areas of the business such as finance, staffing, policy and procedure.

Length of time in the post? I joined Foundation in June 2004

Previous employment / experience? I spent 10 years at English Churches Housing and before that, I
worked for Stonham for 6 years.

What qualifications or skills do you have?
I don't actually have any formal training in this field. I became involved whilst working as a qualified youth worker and probation volunteer.  I have also recently completed an NVQ level 4 in Management.

 Which of these, if any, do you feel is more important in your current role? Without a doubt I would say that experience is more important than actual qualifications (but I would, because I don't have any !). The skills that I have are all ones that I have learnt through my various roles.

Are you planning to do any more training in the near future,
and if so, what type of course would you like to do?
I am always looking at how I can improve my skills and increase my experience, but I do most of this through self educating - I spend time on the internet or I read relevant articles and journals. I think the best way to learn about something, is just to get on and do it, risk making mistakes as long as you learn from them.

What have been the biggest changes in your organisation in
the last year?
Responding to the competitive contract culture, particularly under Supporting People. There have been some difficult decisions in terms of finding savings, but also successes in establishing new services. We have also just been named one of the Sunday Times Top 100 Small Companies to Work For, which is a great accolade for us.

How do you see your organisation in five years time?
Many of our partner agencies are working across Yorkshire and The Humber, so I imagine that we will be paying increasing attention to the regional agenda.

What inspires you the most about your role? Besides the pay packet you mean...... I would have to say that
it's doing something that makes a difference, knowing that what you do creates opportunities for people to change their lives.

What frustrates you the most about your role? It particularly frustrates me when homeless people are seen as having different housing needs to other people. While some people need extra support in order to live independently, they are more likely to succeed in a community where they choose
to be than by being marginalised in specialist schemes.

Best thing about your client group?
If I had to say anything, I would say it was their potential, but I don't think that there is a best or worst thing about them, they are people like everyone else, full of strengths and weaknesses.

Top tip for other support workers?
Live 20 miles from your place of work: you'll avoid all sorts of boundaries issues !

And another thing.....
Despite crossing the Pennines 10 years ago, I'm still a season ticket holder at Manchester United. My favourite food is anything Mediterranean, accompanied by a glass of Rioja. Ideally, I'd be having that meal in Barcelona,
after seeing a Bob Dylan concert.