Jonny Gray - Caretaker – MSSV

I joined Sanctuary six months ago as Caretaker at Murano Street Student Villages, Glasgow. I work in a small team of three operating in the largest student Village within Sanctuary Management Services (SMS). A typical day starts off with tidying up the external common areas of the large grassland site. This will then be followed by picking up my prioritized job list and working my way through them during the day. The main priorities are heating and hot water issues as some of the units within the complex have 12 students in accommodation. Once I have either fixed the issue or asked the office to call for professional help, I will then go on to sort the other repairs on the list.

No two days are the same as the site has 1,157 students whose antics can sometimes see me transforming into a joiner, fixing broken doors and window frames for a couple of hours, then turning to a spot of plastering for half an hour before swapping over to painter and decorator for the rest of the day. In between all of this, interruptions can include reactionary work that comes into the office which may mean plumbing to fix a leaky pipe or a shower that won’t turn off. On occasions it may mean turning my hand to some minor electrical work.

I would say this post demands the ability to be flexible and to think on one’s feet in order to meet the high standards set out by SMS. For instance, next week I may be required to visit another student residence in the city to help cover for Annual leave.

Another attribute required for this job is an ability to communicate with the students and have a good sense of humour.

Ines Parker - Assistant Manager – KHR

I joined Sanctuary Management Services as an Assistant Manager at Kelvinhaugh Residences back in August (2005) and I have enjoyed every minute of my new post. I am part of a small dedicated site team and was made very welcome by all members of staff.

All the various aspects of my job are challenging and no day is the same. I still have a lot to learn but all my colleagues, be it at local or national level, are all very helpful.

I have already been on a training course to improve my appraisal skills and there are some more courses outlined in my training plan. Sanctuary has a very good IT and HR support system. The remuneration, holiday and benefits package offered by Sanctuary are also very attractive.

I enjoy not being stuck in the office the whole day and being able to meet a lot of different people. During the summer months the student residences are either run as a hostel or they are refurbished. A few weeks ago 850 students moved back in so it is quite a different environment to work when compared with the summer break. I find helping residents and guests with their problems however small or big, is always very rewarding.