My career has been really varied. I’ve worked in a factory, as a lifeguard, delivered mail and been a chauffeur, but good people skills have been at the heart of each of these jobs.

I had never considered a career in housing before but I just needed a change of direction. Tai Tarian had just been formed so it was all very new, with the ambition of really making a difference. I joined as an Estate Ranger, patrolling communities, working with tenants and getting to the root causes of anti-social behaviour.

Living locally, this is my community too, so I’m passionate about making sure it’s a great place for everyone.

Over the past few years, technology has changed the way we do our job; we can now install CCTV or monitoring devices to deal with some issues more effectively – but people skills are still key. In previous jobs I’ve dealt with senior politicians, children and people from all walks of life. In this job it’s all about building relationships with individuals or partners to find a solution.

In recent years, job satisfaction has increased tenfold as we have worked more closely with partners such as South Wales Police, giving us more opportunities to resolve anti-social behaviour and pass on intelligence on crime that could potentially be committed in the area.

The job can be intense so looking after our wellbeing is important. As a trained fitness instructor, I deliver lunchtime classes to my colleagues at our head office. This gets people away from their desks, builds relationships and keeps them fit at the same time, although I’m not always the most popular person in the office once the class ends!

I love working in housing because we all have the shared goal of making a difference. The majority of us who work here live locally, so the people and communities really matter to us.

Steve is a Tenancy Relations Support Officer at Tai Tarian