About Us
Meet the Team
We are a small team of hard working individuals committed to combating poverty.
Julia
Julia Service is the Managing Director of Housing Systems. She has 30+ years' experience in the housing sector - starting out as a housing benefit assessor she moved into housing management before becoming a benefits adviser and trainer. She enjoys going to music gigs with her two daughters.
Jon
Jon Wilkinson is our Welfare Benefits Adviser. He previously worked for 18 years in a variety of advice and supervision roles for Citizens Advice, including Welfare Benefits specialist. He enjoys walking, sailing, board games, and spending time with his family.
Tjaša
Tjaša is our Welfare Benefits Information and Advice Specialist. She previously worked as a Welfare Rights Advisor for Macmillan Cancer Support and as a legal advisor in Slovenia, where she's originally from. She loves spending time in nature, exploring new places and cultures and will travel miles for a good coffee.
Liam
Liam is our Business Development Manager. He worked in a variety of legal and housing roles before moving into benefits advice. He enjoys travelling, reading and going to the theatre.
Jane
Jane Crawford is our Advice and Information Director. She has spent over 20 years dealing with benefits within a variety of roles - ranging from working for the DWP (then Benefits Agency), to a Benefits and Income Adviser for a large Housing Association. She enjoys baking cakes and Zumba (to offset the cakes!).
Kirsty
Kirsty Boys is our Welfare Benefits Adviser and over the last 16 years has worked in a variety of specialist adviser roles within Citizens Advice and as a benefits and financial inclusion officer at a Housing Association. Kirsty has far too many hobbies which include growing vegetables on her allotment, teaching about the benefits of cold water swimming and crochet.
Ruth
Ruth Billington is our Welfare Benefits Training and Advice Specialist. She has worked in the charity sector for many years both advising on debt and welfare benefits. She has also worked for the DWP. She enjoys camping, travelling and reading.
Brydie
Brydie Service is our Creative Designer, she develops visual concepts alongside our trainers that are used in the training we deliver. She also helps design our videos and other publications. Brydie works for Housing Systems part-time to fit in with her disability, when she's not working she enjoys looking after her 30 houseplants.
Doug
Douglas Service is contracted as our Technical Co-ordinator and is always on hand to help with any technical issues and co-ordinate our online training, conferences and webinars. In his free time he enjoys travelling around in his campervan and going on long walks.
Jill
Jill Dearden is our Finance Manager. Before working at Housing Systems she worked in the voluntary sector mostly in children's educational charities, leaving behind a background in marketing and business in the financial services industry. She is a qualified trainer, and a keen cyclist.
Steph
Steph is our Welfare Benefits Information and Advice Specialist. She has previously worked as a Housing Benefit assessor for the Local Authority before moving to Citizens Advice where she was an Advice Session Supervisor. When she's not working, Steph enjoys trips with her partner in their campervan as well as many scent work hobbies with her spaniel, Pippin.
Rachel
Rachel Service is our Research and Development Manager and has been with us since 2010. She has a varied role, that includes making our E-learning courses and online tools, keeping on top of the news and delivering training. When she's not working she enjoys travelling and cooking food from around the world.
Jennifer
Jennifer is our Design and Development Manager. She works with the team to develop ideas and bring them to life. She is involved in editing our website and tools as well as illustrating our E-Learning courses. In her spare time she enjoys crocheting and cooking up a storm in the kitchen.