He will work to support them with mental health, addiction and anti-social behaviour issues

Helping vulnerable tenants to stay in their homes is the key role being asked of Ayrshire’s newest community wellbeing officer.

Mark Jenkins will work with tenants to support them with mental health, addiction and anti-social behaviour issues.

He will support them to get to the root cause of their issues in a bid to help them sustain their tenancy.

Employed by Ayrshire Housing but also supporting Atrium Homes, Mark will be splitting his time between the two housing associations. The partnership is a Small Steps Community Planning initiative to give children and families the best start in life and is part funded by the National Lottery. 

 Ayrshire Housing’s chief executive Lesley-Anne Junner said: “Having a safe and secure home is central to all other aspects of life, said

“Without a home people lose access to employment, and education opportunities and will in most cases severely impact on their health and wellbeing both physical and mental. I’m delighted that we have Mark on board to work with some of our most vulnerable tenants at help them stay in their homes.’

“His appointment fits ideally with one of our business plan’s strategic objectives to give all our tenants a place where they feel safe, secure and have a sense of wellbeing in their home and community.’

Ayrshire Housing, a registered charity, manages around 1700 homes across rural and urban Ayrshire with Atrium Homes looking after around 1200 in the area.  

Mark will be working across the associations’ communities helping tenants to also address financial issues, organise themselves, and respond to challenges in areas of their lives where they are currently struggling.

He will step in to help tenants in time of crisis by ensuring they have access to the additional and specific support they need.