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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think the housing officer was unprofessional

80 replies

meltingmum · 29/05/2015 20:09

if the living room the kitchen the garden are immaculate- no sign of anything broken do you as a housing officer need to go into bedrooms- waking up someone asleep? Telling a teenager off and asking him to pick up his socks from the floor in a patronising voice, in an otherwise clean room?

OP posts:
DixieNormas · 30/05/2015 10:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

The5DayChicken · 30/05/2015 10:20

My HA ripped up the perfectly good carpet in my flat before I moved in and I then bought my own.

And surely, if a couple of socks could hide cigarette burns, so could, you know, the bed.

RagstheInvincible · 30/05/2015 10:34

DF worked shifts. As children it was drummed into us that waking up someone who was on on night shift while they were asleep during the day was the one unforgivable sin. I'd complain about that in your position OP.

SpringTown46 · 30/05/2015 10:40

Totally unprofessional in this context. I think you should feedback to the HA. Not only was she late, but spoke inappropriately (to an adult). I think she just assumed he was a lazy teenager so she could speak down to him and be rude.

TheTempest · 30/05/2015 10:45

I'm a housing officer and Imo she wnbu to check every room if she was there for an inspection. She was bvu to comment on socks on the floor or wake an older teenager up. Perfectly easy to stick you head round briefly and be quiet. Tidiness isn't important really but coupled with rent arrears, damage, outstanding gas service etc can be a red flag for someone needing support.

There is still some lasting culture if being 'better' than customers but thankfully it's fading now. Sounds like your housing officer has an over inflated ego to me! SmileSmile

usualsuspect333 · 30/05/2015 10:49

I wouldn't have allowed her n the bedroom in the first place.

Charis1 · 30/05/2015 10:59

And surely, if a couple of socks could hide cigarette burns, so could, you know, the bed

it was just a suggestion, and in my experience of being inspected, the beds were always looked under.

Original poster
meltingmum · 30/05/2015 11:46

It's mainly the talk about lazy teenagers and the socks thing that got me thinking she was unprofessional. I was behind her and could have picked the socks up if need be. Instead she stood there lecturing the poor boy about today's lazy teenagers who cannot cook or clean after themselves they have to rely on their mothers. She went on to say when her daughters went to uni, they were the only ones who knew how to cook and had to cook for their house mates! He felt the need to get up apologise and pick the socks. I appreciate she was doing her job but I felt all that was un called for! I work with teenagers and hate when people show no respect and generalise but on this occasion I did not want to get into any discussion with her I just wanted her out.

OP posts:
SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 30/05/2015 12:06

I would be tempted to write to the Housing Association, explain all the circumstances - the HA officer being 2 hours late, your son being on night shifts and having gone to bed - and describe what happened, as you have done here. Then I would ask the HA to explain why it was appropriate for the HA officer to wake a worker on nightshifts, and to lecture a working adult on laziness, over a couple of socks on the floor.

The5DayChicken · 30/05/2015 13:00

Furniture has never been looked under in my inspections Charis, I find that quite odd!

HelenaDove · 30/05/2015 13:46

In my case my bed goes all the way down to the floor Its a four drawer divan.

And as for gas safety checks In the very recent past ive had several no shows from them. Ive had to change appointments to another day and then they STILL turn up to the original appointment then send threatening letters accusing tenants of not letting them in.

So what are you saying Charis? that housing officers should just start being able to come in and start moving tenants property around.

So tenants are supossed to put faith and trust in dodgy gas engineers who cant organise themselves or do checks properly but it isnt reciprocated?

Quelle surprise!

HelenaDove · 30/05/2015 13:48

Sorry the stuff about gas engineers was to TheTempest. Its not always the fault of the tenant.

HelenaDove · 31/05/2015 16:54

We dont live in a 9 to 5 world anymore People are always being told they have to work all sorts of hours.

All day calls do not fit into a 21st century shift working world. HAs and other organisations need to realise this.

GratefulHead · 31/05/2015 17:03

I would be complaining about tbis, massively unprofessional. My DS is autistic and likes things a certain way. No way woukd she have been allowed in the bedrooms here without prior arrangement and discussion about WHY she needed to see the bedrooms.

stayanotherday · 31/05/2015 17:16

I would complain as it was very rude.

SoldierBear · 31/05/2015 18:27

I'd complain.
She was unprofessional for not calling to tell you she would be 2 hours late.
She was right to inspect all the rooms, but once you'd explained a nightworker was asleep - because she was late - a quick peek round the door should have sufficed.
She was totally out of order to go on about a pair of socks on the floor far less to "lecture" your son about life. Just because he is a teenager does not mean he is not responsible! And it's nothing to do with her anyway. How patronising and prejudiced of her.
Kudos to your son - he sounds like a very polite young man.

Fairy13 · 31/05/2015 18:46

Social worker here.

Of course she was BU.
She is a housing officer, not a social worker and whilst safeguarding is everybody's business she doesn't need to wake him up and make him pick up his socks to make sure all was ok.

The poster above likening it to baby p - it's about proportionality.
If she had got there, house clearly not in good state and knew a child (not working age young adult) was out of sight, not unreasonable to check.

As it was, house was fine. Remit is to inspect rooms. No cause for other concerns. Yes, she probably needed yo see his room. She could have done that without waking him and complaining about his socks.

GlitterNails · 31/05/2015 20:00

Tidiness is none of her business. Only if you're causing damage to the property, but otherwise she should butt out.

MummaV · 31/05/2015 20:52

She was being V unreasonable to wake your son and lecture him on 'lazy teenagers', especially after you had explained he is a night worker who was asleep. Well done to your son for being polite though. Had that have been me I would have lost my temper at being woken by someone because they couldn't stick to an appointment time and then having the audacity to lecture me about the location of my socks and some wild generalisation that this makes me lazy!

Having worked nights for many years previously landlord inspections, gas and appliance checks etc really got my goat. Not once did they ever turn up on time and then always were a bit Hmm about me being in my dressing gown (usually because I'd set an alarm for their visit and intend to go straight back to bed once they left).

If I were you I would be complaining to HA.

HelenaDove · 31/05/2015 21:44

MummaV ive had them not turn up AT ALL And then send me a letter accusing me of refusing them access. Ive cancelled and changed appointments well in advance and they have STILL tried to keep the original appointment. And again sent a letter falsely accusing me of refusing them access.

This system is being used to harass and bully. And its only going to get worse. There is a campaign which was started last year to grant them more powers over this.

RJnomore · 31/05/2015 21:50

The purpose of an ha inspection is purely to check the condition of the property which does not include tidiness etc. so she may have needed to see the room (to check no holes in walls for example) but the rest was completely out of order and please do complain.

I worked for an ha for years and am now involved in governance.

HelenaDove · 31/05/2015 21:54

www.communityhg.com/news/news-article.php?id=232

NadiaWadia · 01/06/2015 03:02

She was massively unprofessional. She has an over-inflated idea of her own importance, and it sounds like she didn't really listen when you explained about your son working nightshifts. I would put in a complaint about her, she needs to be told.

Could you not have said something at the time, though? I don't think I would have been able to stop myself, even though I am not usually a confrontational person. But perhaps her strange behaviour stunned you into silence!

Fleecyleesy · 01/06/2015 09:31

She should have apologised profusely for being late and given a quick reason. Eg "I'm so sorry I am late, I had to wait for someone to bring the key to the previous property".

I think that it would have been reasonable to stick her head silently round the door to ascertain that the room looked ok in keeping with the rest of the house. Talking to a sleeping night worker was disgraceful, as was the nonsense about the socks.

Yes she was unprofessional and not a nice person by the sounds of it.

Complaining about her will achieve nothing. Loads of people do their jobs poorly these days, rarely is anything done about it. I bet her boss is overworked and underpaid (as probably is she) and it will be just another piece of paper for him/her to deal with (by binning it).