Laura King
Tenant Liaison and Complaints Officer
Welcome back to The Big Brew, where we pop the kettle on, open the posh biscuits, and get to know the people who make Sustain UK what it is.
This time, we sat down with Laura King, a proud Brummie whose roots firmly lie in the north of the City. From growing up in Erdington to settling in Kingstanding, her connection to the area has always been strong.
Laura is Sustain UK’s Tenant Liaison and Complaints Officer, a role that taps into her empathetic and caring approach to life. “Sometimes people don’t want action or solutions; they just need someone to listen to them and understand,” she explains.
Laura also serves as Sustain’s Safeguarding Lead, entrusted with safeguarding and protecting some of the City’s most vulnerable.
So, make yourself comfortable and let’s get to know Laura.
I like my tea, with milk, one sugar and the tea bag to be stewed a few minutes, before adding the milk.
Yes, absolutely. I’m originally from Erdington and grew up there, went to school locally, and have always been based around North Birmingham.
I’ve moved around a bit over the years, but Birmingham has always been home, and I’m back in Kingstanding now, which feels like coming full circle.
It’s such a massive city as well – even now, I still forget which direction I’m going when I’m driving. I’ll suddenly think, “Where did I even start?”
My journey began even before Sustain UK existed. Around 23 years ago, I worked with the previous CEO before the organisation was formally established.
I started out as a support worker working with Pauline Hughes, and as Sustain evolved, I moved through a range of roles across both frontline and office-based work. That experience gave me a strong understanding of how Sustain UK and supported housing operates.
I also led Sustain UK’s domiciliary care arm at one point, before I moved into my current role in 2021.
Not really, but I’ve always enjoyed working with people from all walks of life. Originally, I wanted to be a decorator or an interior designer, but when I was given the opportunity to work in care, I quickly realised how much I enjoyed it. I loved the people, the work, and the sense of purpose, and from there, it just grew into a career that really suited me.
Sustain UK houses and supports people who are often vulnerable, homeless or living under the threat of homelessness, and most of my role as Tenant Liaison Lead involves engaging with our residents.
I’m also Sustain’s Safeguarding Lead, so I’m often involved when there are concerns, inspections, or more complex issues to address.
Due to the nature of our work, situations can be challenging, because many of our residents come to us in crisis situations, so my job is working to nip issues in the bud early.
It’s still front facing, but with a stronger focus on the protection and wellbeing of our residents and striking the right balance between support and independence.
Our regular property inspections and Tenant Engagement visits are essential, so we know that our homes are comfortable, safe, and looked after.
They allow me and our support team to spot and deal with issues early, and by visiting homes on a weekly basis we can deal with problems before they get worse and offer our advice and support to our providers, if needed.
Yes, that’s absolutely essential. If we don’t have a good relationship with the people we help support, they may not engage – it's essential they feel they can talk to us in confidence, with their safety and wellbeing a priority.
My role isn’t about blame or enforcement; it’s about working towards a shared goal - putting their best interests first, above all else.
It’s a mix of support and customer service, and in late 2025, Sustain UK was rated number one nationally for housing association customer service. That feedback came directly from our residents and was independently validated by the RSA, which was so great to see.
For me, it really validated the way we work, listening, responding quickly and putting people first, genuinely makes a difference.
Yes, definitely. We’ve had quite a number of residents who’ve had very negative experiences with poor housing providers in the past, and they’re often shocked, in a good way, by the standard of their home when they move in.
It’s normal to see residents who aren’t used to having maintenance issues resolved, or regular property inspections.
They tell us that they only report problems if they’re really bad, as they don’t expect their concerns to be taken seriously.
It’s a sad reality, but all we can do is adhere to our standards, which are heavily influenced by Birmingham City Council’s SEAQAS (Supported Exempt Accommodation Quality Assessment Standards). These are city-wide benchmarks for the safety and quality of our homes and for how residents should be treated.
Empathy, without a doubt.
Many of our residents have incredibly complex needs and have often been let down by other services. Sometimes people don’t want action or solutions; they just need someone to listen to them and understand. Simply being heard can make a huge difference.
Often, that connection and reassurance is just as important as any structured support we can offer.
It has to be music, it’s my biggest passion and something I honestly couldn’t be without.
Music really dictates my mood – it can lift me when I’m happy, calm me when I’m stressed, or help me work through frustration when I need it.
I listen to all sorts, and it completely depends on how I’m feeling. One minute it’ll be garage or old-school tracks, the next it might be rock or something heavier.
The diversity and the different cultures.
I love meeting people from all backgrounds and hearing their stories. Wherever you go in Birmingham, there’s always a great mix of people, and that’s something really special.
It has to be ‘skellington’ – it’s the way we say ‘Skeleton’. I didn’t even realise it was a Brummie thing until people started pointing it out!
I don’t have one particular favourite book, but I do have a favourite author. I love the Grace detective series and anything connected to those books.
To learn more about the team at Sustain and its board members, visit our Company and Directors Page.