MEET THE TEAM

Priority Youth Housing currently employs 42 staff, operating from 4 offices in Bedminster, Patchway, Southmead and Withywood and the new Young Persons Project in Hotwells.

Click here for Staffing Structure

Director - Dom Wood
Dom is responsible for the organisation on a day to day basis through effective business planning, and through staff and financial management. He is the one who implements effective and legal policies and procedures and assists in their development and review and represents and promotes the organisation to external agencies and individuals

Senior Management Team

Finance & Office Manager - Deb Gee
Deb ensures the effective management of the finances of Priority Youth Housing. She maintains an awareness of the supported housing funding regime and the impact of external factors upon the finances of the organisation. She also ensures the smooth running of the organisation's finance, IT and office systems. Within the office, Deb ensures that effective health and safety practices are developed, implemented and monitored.

South Gloucestershire Area Manager - Jamie Gill
BSC (Hons); Post Graduate Diploma in Housing; MCIH
Jamie has been developing and improving services for young homeless people and care leavers since 1994, and has been leading Priority Youth Housing’s services in South Gloucestershire since 2000. His current role includes strategic and operational management of Priority’s services in South Gloucestershire. Jamie ensures that effective systems, policies and partnerships are in place so that the full range of young people’s housing and support needs can be met. He initiates new projects and works closely with Priority’s partner organisations including the local authority, Connexions West of England, housing associations and voluntary agencies.

Jamie is a Board Member of a Registered Social Landlord, is Chair of their Services Committee, and sits on the South Gloucestershire Teenage Pregnancy Partnership Board. Previously he has worked in the local authority, housing association and charity sectors.

Housing Services Manager - Howard Symonds
Howard is responsible for maintaining a committed and skilled Bristol Housing and Support Services and Training, Education and Employment staff team. In partnership with the South Gloucestershire Area Manager, he develops and implements policies and procedures, ensuring continually improving services to Priority's service users. He reviews services and identifies the needs of young homeless people in Bristol and assists in the process of identifying and securing new funding and in developing new services to increase the range of resources, opportunities and support services to young people.

Young Persons Project Manager - Marco van-Tintelen
NVQ level 5 Strategic Management, Certification in Leadership, ECABO qualification in IT and Communication (Netherlands), Member of Institute of Management  

Marco is responsible for the overall management of St Georges House including the management of staff at the project, policy and procedure development, overseeing the support young people receive and liaison with partners including Bristol City Council and Jephson Housing Association. Marco is part of the senior management team of Priority Youth Housing including responsibilities for staffing issues, policies and procedures, networking and budgets.   

Marco has over 13 years experience in working with homeless people of all ages and homelessness and housing issues in both rural settings and urban settings. His experience of managing homeless services includes day centres, residential accommodation, bond schemes and educational and art programs

Seniors and Deputies

Senior Housing Officer - Becky Cotterell (maternity cover)
Becky ensures that Priority Youth Housing's residents and prospective residents receive an efficient and effective housing management, support and maintenance service. She ensures that there is a clear understanding within Priority's Housing Support Team of the issues facing young people and implements strategies of meeting their housing and support needs. Becky manages and supports the housing officers and deputises in the short-term absence of the Housing & Support Services Manager.

Deputy Managers, Young Persons Project - Matthew Fowles and Rhys Owen
Matt and Rhys' roles are to deputise for and assist the Project Manager to manage the new 25 bedspace project for young people aged 16-25 years old. They also ensure that the projects residents and prospective residents receive an efficient and effective housing management and maintenance service and they manage the project support team, to ensure that young people are provided with the support they require and are assisted in finding longer term solutions to their housing and support needs.

Senior Support Worker South Gloucestershire - Barry Golten
Barry ensures that Priority Youth Housing's service users receive an efficient and effective support service and that there is a clear understanding within Priority's Housing Support Team of the issues facing young people and he implements strategies to meet their housing and support needs. He also manages and supports the Support Workers in South Gloucestershire.

Office and Administrative Staff

IT Support - Shani Evans
Shani provides IT support services and oversees the ICT systems throughout the organisation. She maintains the infrastucture, provides solutions, troubleshoots problems and ensures that there are effective communication channels for staff both internally and externally. She also co-ordinates and implements the organisations ICT strategy, in liason with the Finance and Office Manager.

Rents Officer - David Smith
David ensures the smooth running of the rent administration system and that residents have a clear understanding of their payment responsibilities. He administers the rent records, follows the rent arrears procedures and ensures that a consistent approach to arrears control is used with all Priority's residents.

PA to the Director - Samantha Carr
Sam is responsible for providing comprehensive personal assistant duties to the Director, including diary management, dealing with travel and confidential correspondence, assisting in the planning and preparation of documents and presentations, collating and drafting reports and obtaining and providing key information and data for use by the Director.

Finance and Administration Officer - Lindsay Flook
Lindsay provides efficient office and administration systems to the organisation and supports the Finance and Office Manager in maintaining accurate and adequate financial systems and controls. Lindsay also provides first line IT support services and liaises with external contractors as appropriate to trouble shoot problems and maintain effective IT systems.

Finance and Administration Worker - Flor Garcia
Flor maintains current administrative systems and day to day book keeping tasks. Flor provides wherever possible maximum administrative cover, covering for the Receptionist/Housing Administrator where necessary.

Housing Administrator - Kathryn Cooper
Kathryn maintains current housing administrative systems and acts as the central communications point for all staff. She provides housing advice to applicants and residents, collects rents, oversees the maintenance procedure and assesses new applicants.

Administrator, South Gloucestershire - Dawn Bird
Dawn maintains the administrative and monitoring systems and meets the monitoring requirements of Connexions West of England. She acts as the central communications point for all Priority Youth staff in South Gloucestershire, and for Connexions West of England and other partner agencies. Dawn also provides information and advice to young people on learning opportunities, personal development opportunities, housing options and other relevant advice and support services.

Support Workers

Housing Officers, Bedminster Parade - Trish, Doreen & Claire
Trish, Doreen and Claire ensure the smooth running of the housing projects in management. They provide Intensive Housing Management support to young people in our properties and floating support to young people in other properties to enable them to learn to live independently and establish themselves in the community.

Tee Worker - Alice, South Gloucestershire (maternity cover)
Alice enables young homeless people and care leavers to access and sustain appropriate learning, training, employment and personal development opportunities and supports young people into learning and employment in the South Gloucestershire area.

Hartcliffe & Withywood Housing Officer - Billy
Billy operates a Housing Support Service from the Withywood/Hartcliffe office of Priority Youth Housing. She provides intensive housing management support to young people living in our properties in the area to enable them to live independently and establish themselves in the community. In conjunction with the Floating Support Worker based at the office, she also ensures that housing support and advice is available to young people living independently in the area.

Floating Support Workers, Bristol - Sam & Lynda
Operating from the Southmead and Withywood office respectively, Sam and Lynda provide support, advice and practical help to care leavers and other vulnerable young people in Bristol, to enable them to establish themselves in their home and community, and to successfully maintain their tenancies.

North Bristol Support Worker - Caroldean
Caroldeane works intensively with our residents in St Andrews and Bishopston, supporting them in their accommodation and in training, education and employment, Caroldeane works closely with our own housing officers and with other agencies to provide an holistic service, enabling young people to sustain their acommodation and to prepare to move on to less supported accommodation.

Floating Support Workers, South Gloucestershire - Andy, Pheobe & Ben
Andy, Pheobe and Ben all provide support, advice and practical help to care leavers and other vulnerable young people in South Gloucestershire, to enable them to establish themselves in their home and community, and to successfully maintain their tenancies.

Personal Advisor - Kate
Kate enables young homeless people and care leavers to access and participate effectively in appropriate learning, training, employment and personal development opportunities, by raising their aspirations and self confidence, removing barriers to learning and by brokering access to a range of specialist services, enabling them to reach their full potential. Kate works within south Gloucestershire area.

Female Support Worker South Gloucestershire - Christine
Christine also provides support, advice and practical help to homeless young people, care leavers and other vulnerable young people, to enable them to establish themselves in their home and community, and to successfully maintain their housing in South Gloucestershire, and also provides particular support to young women who specifically require the support of a female support worker.

Housing Officer, North Bristol - Ali
Ali ensures the smooth running of the housing projects in management, particularly in the Southmead area. She provides Intensive Housing Management support to young people in our properties and links with the rest of the Housing Team in the main offices to ensure that a consistent service is provided throughout. Ali also develops links with relevant workers and teams in North Bristol, so that we can provide a better service to young people in the area.

Project Support Workers x 5, Young Persons Project - Gemma, Chanelle, Chantal, Sally & James
The role of the Project Workers is to ensure the smooth running of the project. The Workers contribute to the overall aims and objectives of the project and actively facilitate individual's independent living. The Workers must have the ability to relate well to young people and be able to identify their housing and support needs and to must have a commitment to equal opportunities and user empowerment.

Night Support Workers x 4, Young Persons Project - Hugo, Peter, Joyce & Jennifer
The night support workers provide overnight security of the Project in order to ensure overall safety and comfort of residents.

Cleaner/Maintenance Person - Glenn
The maintenance person works as a member of the team within the project promoting a safe environment and contributing to the care of the clients.

Board of Directors

John Baynes Reid - Chair
Housing Development Consultant

Natalie Hahn
HR Consultant / Workplace Mediator

Sarah Mason
Personnel Manager, Knightstone Housing Association

Karen Ross
Enabling Manager, South Gloucestershire Council

Rachel Woodford - Treasurer
Finance Accountant, South Gloucestershire Council

Tim Borthwick
Enabling Officer, South Gloucestershire Council

Ian Harries
Previous Assistant Director North Somerset, currently Private Consultant for Regional Development Agency

Nat Selman

Chris Newman

Stephen Lodge
Area Programme Manager, Guiness Trust

Paul Hale
Manager of Redwood House Hostel for the Homeless

Andrew Forsey

David Clowes
David is the Financial Controller for the Aster Group, the holding company for three Registered Social Landlords in the South West of England.  He has responsibility for the effective management of Group finances, the implementation of policies and procedures and the management of the Group Finance Team.

Alison Kearin
Alison currently works as PA to Head of Reward, Corporate Human Resources, Environment Agency. She was previously a Secretary/Office Manager for 10 years at Airbus and in addition to the 'day job' has 4.5 years as Charity Challenge Co-ordinator, which is how she came to be involved with PYH initially.  On leaving Airbus Alsion was able to take up the offer of a place on the board and brings her fundraising experience and ideas to PYH.