A WOMAN who worked her way up through a social housing organisation over nearly three decades has landed one of its top jobs.

Claire Stone, who joined Shipley-based Accent Housing in 1989 as a housing assistant, has now been appointed to a new executive director role.

Ms Stone progressed through the business in a range of frontline and managerial roles, including director posts in housing, maintenance, investment, development and commercial services.

In her new job, as the company’s first executive director of customer experience, she will be ultimately responsible for the experience of every one of Accent’s 41,589 tenants and residents across the country.

The role brings together two areas which had previously been separate within the organisation: customer services and asset management.

Ms Stone, who lives in Settle and is based at Accent’s head office in Otley Road, will be among the organisation’s four most senior members of staff and will report directly to chief executive Paul Dolan.

She said: “I started off as a housing assistant, dealing with residents, booking people's repairs and things like that.

"Now I'm responsible for the whole service - for everything we do for residents right across the country.

"I feel it's getting back to my roots."

Ms Stone said she had had around a dozen roles during her near-30-year career with the organisation.

She said: "Accent has been great for me. I have been given lots of opportunities to pursue different bits of the business and I have now come full circle."

Accent employs around 200 staff at its Shipley head office and also has four regional offices around the country.