CONNECT THE MAGAZINE OF THE HOMELESSNESS SECTOR
SMALL STEPS: ROUTES TO EMPLOYMENT
THE BLUFFER’S GUIDE
TAKE A STEP
FOLLOWING THE MONEY
An at a glance guide to DWP’s products and services - and who needs to know about them.
Centre page pullout to help you join our campaign - Take a Step to help end rough sleeping.
We look at where some of the first round of Homelessness Transition Fund money is being spent
14-16 ISSN 2046-2921
21-24
20 & 25
CONNECT MARCH 2012, ISSUE 45 | WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
WELCOME
CONNECT MARCH 2012 | ISSUE 45
Getting It Right for Young People
The National Youth Reference Group presents a solutions focused, youth led conference.
One‐day conference | 17 May 2012 | Birmingham
“Youth homelessness is just a hurdle: with the right support you can still reach your goals and aspirations.”
Young people who have all experienced homelessness will share their personal stories, passion for change and their considered views on what works in relation to accessing housing, health, education, welfare and employment related services.
events@homelesslink.org.uk 020 7840 4461
www.homeless.org.uk/right‐for‐young‐people This event is brought to by Homeless Link
NYRG were set up and are funded by The Department for Communities and Local Government.
CONNECT MARCH 2012 | ISSUE 45
WELCOME
IN CONNECT 45 4
UPFRONT
5
SECTOR ROUND-UP
7
NAC SPOTLIGHT
8
TRACKING CHANGE
Matt Harrison - Interim Chief Executive.
Recent developments in homelessness.
National Advisory Council update from Jon Cox.
EMPLOYMENT Paul Anders asks what the government is doing to
Q We asked you to tell us your priorities on supporting homeless people into work.
14
THE BLUFFER’S GUIDE TO DWP PRODUCTS An at a glance guide to the often bewildering
THE FINAL PIECE OF THE JIGSAW Social enterprise Lift share their approach to supporting people into work.
30
SELL NOT TELL David Ford asks what more we can do do to include current and former service users.
33
BUSINESS ACTION IN TYNESIDE
34
‘AMAZE YOURSELF’
36
THE MONKEY ON THE BACK
Tyneside Cyrenians talk about BAOH.
Jessica Plant on our arts project - Get Creative.
Victoria Aseervatham introduces a new literacy
38
KEEPING WORK New research from Broadway aims to find out what will help homeless people stay in work.
ASSESS FOR SUCCESS Lisa Reed looks at the practical employment support available for EEA migrants.
18
We take a look at a new employment service in
toolkit.
array of DWP’s products and services.
17
28
Joe Whitaker reports on this year’s Survey of
support homeless people into work.
12
BRIDGING THE GAP Bristol - and its phenomenal success rate.
Needs and Provision.
10
26
40
MANAGING PEOPLE In an extended edition of her regular feature, Helen Giles writes about employing service users.
G.R.O.W Helen Loosemore looks at how the GROW
WHAT’S ON?
approach is working in West Yorkshire.
20
RESOURCES FOLLOWING THE MONEY We look at where the first round of Homelessness Transition Fund money is being spent.
21
TAKE A STEP Use our centre-page pullout to tell us how you’re
www.homeless.org.uk/connect
helping to end rough sleeping.
NEXT IN CONNECT - 2012 & BEYOND: In CONNECT 46 we ask what the future holds for homelessness services. If you have a story or ideas to share, please get in touch - editor@homelesslink.org.uk SUBSCRIPTIONS: to subscribe or take out additional subscriptions, please email connect@homelesslink.org.uk EDITOR: Martin Reed
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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UPFRONT
CONNECT MARCH 2012 | ISSUE 45
UPFRONT It’s something of a cliché that
Out - and it is in the process of being adopted by more
real news is bad news – and
than 20 communities across England.
homelessness services, I admit, are often not far enough from it.
But ensuring that no one new to the streets spends a second night out is only one part of what we need to
On the one hand, statutory
do to end rough sleeping. We also need to ensure that
homelessness and rough sleeping
no one needs to live on the streets. No one should return
figures are up. On the other, while
to the streets once they have been helped off them.
demand increases, over half of
Ultimately, no one should arrive on the streets. The fact
services report cuts to funding.
that more than half of those who end up sleeping rough asked for help beforehand is evidence that communities
However, at our Parliamentary Reception in early March,
could do more to prevent people falling so far.
listening to two men who have been helped by our members (BCHA in Bournemouth and The Basement in
At our Parliamentary Reception, we announced that
Liverpool) - from sleeping rough, addictions and crime,
the Homelessness Transition Fund will be accepting
into employment and stability – it was clear that it isn’t
new applications from April – making another £8 million
the scale of the problem that needs our attention, or the
available over the next year to fund innovation and help
negative spin that some might throw at it. What we need
protect critical services. We hope this will help create
to focus on are the things that work – the methods and
new opportunities to forge partnerships and build local
approaches that help people turn their lives around.
structures to support people.
Delivering the most positive outcomes for people is about
We also launched Take a Step, a campaign designed to
practical action. We know that. It’s about the steps we all
raise awareness of the role everyone can play in ending
take every day.
rough sleeping – homelessness professionals, politicians, health workers, employers, members of the public.
SHIFTING SANDS So how do we really ensure that everyone gets the right help at the right time to prevent homelessness before it begins? How do we make sure no one is left out or lives on our streets? There is no single cause of homelessness, no single solution – and it can be challenging, to say the least, to work against a landscape of welfare reform and changing government policy. Our recent Complex Lives research, in partnership
You’ll find example steps on page 44 – and there’s a Take a Step centre page pull-out to help you take part. We hope you’ll join us. Tell us how you’re helping to end rough sleeping.
TOWARDS INDEPENDENCE In this edition of CONNECT, we look at skills and employment - crucial elements in helping people to become independent.
with the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, has done much to advance understanding of the deep roots of
How can we support clients to gain the skills, motivation,
homelessness. But there are new trends that services are
experience and confidence to move into paid work? How
having to respond to, such as the increasing number of
do we help them stay in it? How do we make sure that
young people seeking help and new pockets of rough
they’re ready for the workplace – and that it is ready for
sleeping that we are seeing in many smaller cities.
them? What should government and businesses be doing to help – and what are they currently doing to hinder?
LEAVING NO ONE OUT The sector has done much to promote No Second Night
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WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
There are many exciting employment and skills projects
CONNECT MARCH 2012 | ISSUE 45
NEWS
being developed by homelessness organisations. Often
She’ll be missed and we wish her well in her future roles, to
against the odds, there are some really good news stories
which I’m sure she’ll bring the same energy and vision.
to be told. You won’t find them in the press - good news about someone like Tommy Allman, one of the speakers
Supporting people to change their lives. That’s what we
at our Parliamentary Reception who, after five years of
do. The successes of our members will probably always
sleeping rough, is now employed by The Basement, about
go largely unreported – but when it comes to move-on
to get married and become a dad.
stories like Tommy’s, the real news is most definitely good news.
I couldn’t complete my first Upfront of 2012 (and my first as Interim Chief Executive) without a huge vote of thanks
Matt Harrison
to Jenny Edwards CBE, who led Homeless Link as CEO
Interim Chief Executive
from 2004 until last December. It is in large part due to her
Homeless Link
tireless campaigning and advocacy that homelessness – in particular rough sleeping – has become such a political priority.
SECTOR ROUND-UP RISING HOMELESSNESS
WELCOME FOR GOVERNMENT
With the latest Government figures showing a 14% rise in
SOCIAL JUSTICE STRATEGY
statutory homelessness and a 23% rise in rough sleeping,
The Making Every Adult Matter coalition of leading
members across England are struggling to cope with
charities, including Homeless Link, has welcomed the
demand.
launch of the Social Justice Strategy. The strategy emphasises the focus on better coordinated support for
Framework’s service in Bassetlaw has reported that more
individuals facing a combination of problems such as
than one family a day has been seeking the help to
mental ill health, substance misuse, homelessness and
avoid having their homes repossessed. Commenting on
contact with the criminal justice system. Something the
the latest statistics, Sarah Lloyd, Framework’s Specialist
MEAM coalition is currently piloting in several areas in
Housing Advisor said: “We are currently seeing eight or
England.
nine people a week – and those are just the ones who are coming to us for help. This number also does not include people in private rented accommodation who are also faced with losing their homes.”
Commenting Oliver Hilbery of MEAM said: “We know that
a small investment in the coordination of existing local services can have a significant impact on the wellbeing of the most excluded individuals.
www.frameworkha.org
“Today’s statement is the first step. We will continue to
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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NEWS
CONNECT MARCH 2012 | ISSUE 45
work with government as they develop the structures that can drive the provision of excellent services for this group in local areas.”
WELFARE REFORM The Welfare Reform Bill received Royal Assent in early March and is now an Act. The regulations to accompany the Welfare Reform Act will now be developed, essentially
www.meam.org.uk
the real detail of how the changes will be implemented and how the new welfare system will work. Homeless Link
TAKE YOUR STEP TO END ROUGH SLEEPING
will be advocating on behalf of members for regulations
With rough sleeping on the rise, Homeless Link has
that prevents homelessness, supports recovery from
launched a campaign called Take a Step. The campaign
homelessness and do not disadvantage vulnerable
aims to raise awareness of the damage rough sleeping
people. We will also continue to map and gather
causes to people and society; the steps, both big
evidence of the experience of clients and services of the
and small, that everyone can take to help end rough
changes to the welfare system.
sleeping and help people to get back on their feet and encourage individuals and organisations to play their
ELIGIBLE SERVICE CHARGES FOR COMMON ROOMS
part.
In January the DWP released a General Information Bulletin which asked for information to gauge the
The campaign calls for professionals, politicians and the
potential impact of a proposed change in housing
policy makers to focus efforts on four key ambitions:
benefit legislation. The proposed change would make the utilities and housekeeping of rooms of common
•
No one new to the streets should spend a second
use an ineligible service charge for a wide range of
night out
housing types. With a potentially enormous impact on
•
No one should live on the streets
services and a response was submitted with evidence
•
No one should return to the streets once they have
from members to the DWP. We asked for a full formal
been helped off them, and ultimately
consultation, a thorough impact assessment, and
No one should arrive on the streets.
that any change in legislation supports current local
•
practice. We also met with senior officials at the DWP and Homeless Link is calling on its members to help spread the
highlighted the level of concern expressed by members
word and to share what they are doing. To find out more
at this potential change to legislation.
turn to page 21. Download our response from: HOMELESSNESS TRANSITION FUND
bit.ly/connect-dwp-response
ANNOUNCES NEW FUNDING ROUNDS From April 2012, homelessness charities will be able
SHARED ACCOMMODATION RATE
to apply for grants of up £200k to invest in new ways
The age extension and related exemptions to the Shared
of preventing and tackling rough sleeping. Key
Accommodation Rate came into effect on 1 January. We
homelessness services, which are at risk of closure, will
are working on a summary of the initial impact of the age
also be able to apply for grants of up to £25k to help them
extension to the SAR – please send us your experiences in
find ways of securing their futures.
relation to individuals, including those newly affected by the age extension and the under-25s, and the impact on
The Fund will particularly encourage applications from
services. We have also produced a guide for members to
areas which are experiencing high levels of homelessness
help them understand the changes
and rough sleeping. To find out more see page 20 or visit www.homeless.org.uk/fund
SAR Q&A: bit.ly/connect-sar
HOMELESS LINK WELCOMES THE FOLLOWING NEW MEMBERS: Biola Aleshe, Liz Baghurst, Dave Carlile, Jo Barrett, Adref Ltd, London Borough of Redbridge, Bristol Sheltered Accommodation & Support, Assisted Accommodation Ltd , Trail-Blazers, York Street Health Practice, Genesis Housing Association, Genesis Community Foundation, YMCA Worcester, Rebecca Bradley, Eaves Housing, Vineyard Communtiy Centre, Freedom Social Projects, Brighton Churches Night Shelter, Cardinal Hume Centre, Welfare Rights (Dumfries), East to West, David Ford, Paul Wilson, Ronald Cozier, Coventry Jesus Centre, Peterborough City Council, Alan Lyddiard, Equity Homes, Routes to roots, Social Firms UK, Vital Regeneration, The Mustard Tree, Naomi Daniel, Daniel McCulloch, Dominic Cassidy, LAMP, Natasha Patterson, Pilates Street, Stephanie Learmonth and Equip.
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NAC
NAC SPOTLIGHT Our sector is facing a period of difficult and propelled change, so I hope you’ll be glad to hear that Homeless Link’s National Advisory Council (NAC) continues to keep pace. We’re exploring increased opportunities for members to get their voices heard at the highest level within Homeless Link and Government. www.homeless.org.uk/contact-nac At our last meeting, as you might
back concerns about the impact of Housing Benefit
imagine, many NAC members
being paid directly to clients. Government had asked:
and their constituents had
“If vulnerable people should be excluded, how do
significant concerns about the
we define ‘vulnerable’?” We wondered whether a
departure of Jenny Edwards
reasonable definition in this case might be people with
as CEO. The NAC recognised
money management issues evidenced by rent arrears,
both the significantly enhanced
or those assessed as lacking mental capacity. Levels of
influence the organisation and its
service charge arrears, where the client was personally
members have enjoyed in recent
responsible for payment, could be used an indication of
years, under Jenny’s stewardship
the impact of such a change.
and the unfortunate timing of her departure. NAC members were able to voice their reasonable concerns and queries to representatives of the Board. The theme was that going forward, we needed to continue
ANNUAL CONFERENCE We discussed the NAC presence at this event – including the aggregation of the NAC regional slot into a single session or contribution to another overview session.
to pay attention to: We had an exciting and productive Blue Skies session •
maintaining the momentum and influence of
which aimed to establish the key areas in which members
Homeless Link, now more than ever
felt Homeless Links efforts should be targeted. High scoring topics were:
•
engaging members closely in decisions about strategic direction of Homeless Link going forward.
•
Procurement and Commissioning – drivers, pressures, and costs to the sector
The theme of change continued as we said goodbye
•
Quality affordable move on
to Cathy Jones, Peter Chapman and Jeremy Jones and
•
Welfare reform
welcomed three new regional representatives: Nigel
•
Cuts – reduction in numbers and quality of, services
Francis (NW), Pat Mc Cardle (WM) and– Phil Noall (SW).
•
New funding structures – concerns over exempt
We look forward to receiving Ben Keegan, representing
accommodation review
Yorkshire and Humber to complete our number.
•
Health.
HOT TOPICS AT OUR LAST MEETINGS Youth Homelessness: we talked about the importance of recent research and whether the issue of non dependent benefit deduction might add to the issue.
Since the meeting, concern has been expressed about proposals to make service charges for communal spaces within certain types of shared accommodation ineligible for Housing Benefit. The strong standpoint being that this would be significantly impacting for organisations and
Shared Accommodation Rate: we were concerned
the clients they serve as cost would ultimately be passed
about the general lack of localised consultation from
onto them.
DWP on - and arrangements for - managing exemptions. Jon Cox, Two Saints - National Advisory Council Chair Direct Payments of Housing Benefit: members fed WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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FEATURES
CONNECT MARCH 2012 | ISSUE 45
TRACKING CHANGE Since 2008 Homeless Link has been collecting
day centres, which have more diversified funding and
information from homelessness projects around
rely more on fundraising.
England for its Survey of Needs and Provision (SNAP) report, and tracking changes to funding, service
Public spending cuts elsewhere have also had an impact
delivery and clients. Joe Whitaker reports on this
on projects’ ability to provide their clients with access
years report.
to specialist services. A key finding is that fewer projects in 2011 than 2010 could refer their clients for the external
This year, with your help, we have the data to show
music, arts and cultural activities that build clients’
a sector facing challenges of shrinking capacity,
self-esteem and confidence, and are at the heart of
decreasing funding and increasing demands for help.
the Places of Change ethos. In this year’s survey project managers told us that funding was their number one
SHRINKING CAPACITY
issue; many have been told of further cuts in funding to
SNAP reveals that the capacity of the homelessness
come.
sector declined last year, meaning fewer homeless people could be offered support. A total of 79 accommodation projects closed between November 2010 and November 2011. Many of the more than 1,300 hostels and second stage projects that remain have reduced their provision of services. The number of bed spaces around the country fell by more than 1,500 or 4%, with the biggest proportional decline (9%) recorded in Yorkshire and Humberside. The number of full and part-time paid staff employed by projects fell by 11% between 2010 and 2011, and many of these were frontline staff carrying out key working responsibilities. This reduction in staff means less individualised support for clients as a result of increased workloads, poor staff morale, and restrictions on the range of support services that projects can provide. SQUEEZED FUNDING Many homelessness projects have had to reduce their capacity as a result of cuts to their funding. A majority have had their funding reduced in 2011/2012 and on average lost 15% of their budget. More accommodation projects, most of which are reliant on local authority funding for housing related support, reported cuts than
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THE VIEW FROM A DAY CENTRE
THE VIEW FROM AN ACCOMMODATION PROJECT
•
•
•
The different groups making up your clients will
You rely on funding from your council and are
not have changed but you will be working with
likely to have faced a reduction in your budget
more people,
this year,
You rely on fundraising but there is a good
•
chance you have lost some funding during the year, •
FEATURES
changed you have lost full time staff, •
As demands for support have increased you
You have to refuse someone access to your project each week because of the risk they
have not increased your staff team but do have more volunteers.
If your levels of staff and volunteers have
pose to your staff, •
You struggle to find suitable move on housing for your clients and have limited capacity to accept new clients.
INCREASING DEMAND
While there is much to celebrate, there is also more to be
The contraction of homelessness services and funding in
done. The data shows that projects can struggle to work
2011 was accompanied by greater demand for support.
with clients with difficult behaviour, for example many
The estimated number of people using day centres
projects refuse access to people who are intoxicated,
around the country each day was 28% higher in 2011 than
have a history of arson or have committed a sexual
the year before, while the number of accommodation
offence. These are often the people who need support
projects with empty beds on an average night was lower
the most. Of course, to meet the challenges posed by
than in 2010 – by 28%. Empty beds do not mean wasted
people with high support needs homelessness services
capacity, as few beds are empty for long. Instead fewer
require adequate support themselves, particularly from
empty beds indicate there is limited spare capacity to
local authorities who have a major stake in tackling and
support people who find themselves newly homeless.
reducing homelessness.
The ability of accommodation projects to meet this
THE SNAP SURVEY
demand has been hampered by shortages of move on
SNAP has been conducted every year since 2008. The
accommodation. Projects managers told us that housing
survey involves telephone interviews with the project
for clients ready to live independently was the biggest
managers of a randomly selected sample of 500
gap in service provision in their local area. Finding
day centres, direct access hostels and second stage
suitable, affordable move on accommodation for women
accommodation projects in England. In addition data
and young people was reported as being particularly
was collected from the Homeless UK database, which lists
difficult. Without a steady flow of people out of homeless
almost all day centres and accommodation projects in
accommodation projects will struggle to maintain an
the country.
adequate flow of people in to meet demand. Download the SNAP 2012 report at: MEETING THE CHALLENGE
www.homeless.org.uk/SNAP2012
While this year’s survey reveals increased pressure on homelessness services, it also highlights the important work that these services do in helping vulnerable people access support to make a transition away from homelessness. The data shows that most frontline projects work with people with a learning disability and many support clients who have experienced significant trauma such as domestic violence. WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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COMMENT
CONNECT MARCH 2012 | ISSUE 45
EMPLOYMENT Paul Anders asks what the government is doing to
•
support homeless people into work - and is that enough?
delivering a more personalised service to this group of people, and
•
a more systematic approach to joint working between Jobcentre Plus, homelessness agencies and
In ‘Vision to end rough sleeping: No Second Night Out
keyworkers.
nationwide’, the Government made clear its conviction that paid employment is one of the keys to preventing
THE WORK PROGRAMME
and tackling homelessness. It contained specific
The Government views the Work Programme as
commitments about what sort of services can and should
being central to the efforts to support any long-term
be provided for homeless men and women.
unemployed person into work via a personalised, tailored package of employment support.
The Government has introduced a range of measures designed to support or motivate people into work. These
It aims to offer up to two years of tailored in and out of
broadly take the forms of supportive programmes to
work support to customers referred by Jobcentre Plus -
enable people to make the most of their potential and
delivered by contractors from the private, public and
to become financially independent and self-determining
voluntary sectors, who work on a payment by results basis.
on the one hand, and new (or planned) rules around
It is routinely described as the largest single programme
benefits aimed at incentivising particular activities on the
aimed at getting people back to work since the 1930s. At
other.
current projections, the Work Programme is expected to have more than 3.3 million referrals over five years.
This renewed emphasis on paid employment comes at a uniquely challenging time, as economies around Europe
Many previous outsourced employment programmes
and further afield face low growth, rising unemployment
have resulted in “creaming and parking” - with those
and wage levels that are failing to match inflation. In view
closest to the job market receiving the most support whilst
of the harsh economic conditions - and occasionally
those further away receive the bare minimum. To avoid
bewildering range of government initiatives – supporting
this, DWP has created the ‘JSA Seriously Disadvantaged’
homeless people into employment can demand some
group, which most users of homeless services are likely
careful navigation.
to be eligible for, where certain characteristics are acknowledged as making it more difficult for someone to
JOBCENTRE PLUS
enter the job market.
As part of the Ministerial Working Group, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) carried out a review of the
Concerns around the ‘JSA Seriously Disadvantaged’
support available to homeless people at Jobcentre Plus.
group include doubts about whether Jobcentre Plus is referring people via this route when they should,
The conclusions of the review acknowledged that while
and whether the group is narrow enough to still avoid
employment can contribute to an individual’s recovery
creaming and parking within it. Providers have the
and reintegration, homeless people typically experience
freedom to design their own model, so they can provide
a range of barriers to employment, compounded by
as much or as little in the way of services as they feel is
homelessness itself - and as a consequence, their needs
necessary to meet their targets. Worryingly, this means
are likely to be best met by a co-ordinated and less
that some clients could be left without employment
fragmented approach.
support for two years.
Recommendations fell into two themes:
Many homelessness agencies have also expressed
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CONNECT MARCH 2012 | ISSUE 45
reservations about people being fast-tracked into the the
COMMENT
understanding of the scale and nature of the issue
Work Programme via the ‘JSA Seriously Disadvantaged’ customer group, since conditionality requirements are
On a practical level, there is a lack of understanding of
perceived as more demanding. A Work Programme
the sorts of services that people might need - and why
provider can make almost any activity mandatory – and
homelessness is a need in its own right that goes beyond
if a mandatory activity (which can include courses,
a lack of a place to live.
volunteering and work placements) is subsequently missed by an individual, they are under obligation to refer
The Work Programme poses a significant challenge in
their doubts about compliance to Jobcentre Plus. It is for
terms of performance and risk for the agencies that
Jobcentre Plus Decision Makers to assess whether or not
deliver it, but it is the only initiative of its type and is likely
there is good cause for this.
to remain so. This means it is crucial that homelessness and related agencies have to stay engaged - whether
Applying the same standards of conditionality to the ‘JSA
by delivering as sub-contractors or specialists, or by
Seriously Disadvantaged’ client group as to other client
supporting their clients fully when they are referred to the
groups is not consistent with the efforts being made to
Work Programme.
provide a personalised service based on profiling and segmentation. Anybody working with a homeless or
INFORMAL ADULT LEARNING
otherwise vulnerable person will need to ensure that they
The third commitment of Vision to end rough sleeping:
take every step possible to support that person to comply
No Second Night Out nationwide is to prioritise access to
with what can appear to be an increasingly complex
further education and to promote informal adult learning.
and demanding set of requirements.
The latter in particular has historically been a strength of this sector, although Homeless Link’s latest SNAP survey
There is some room for doubt around whether all Work
shows a slight decrease in provision.
Programme providers have expertise or an understanding of homelessness and related issues. I have spoken
I find it striking that only 4% of agencies report that they
with Work Programme prime contractors around the
have statutory skills or employment specific funding. This
country, and it is clear to me that whilst the majority
means that much of the work currently being done is
take homelessness seriously, there may be gaps in the
unfunded, funded by trusts and charitable (cont)
WHAT CAN GOVERNMENT DO?
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
1. Acknowledge that some people, because they are so far from the job market, will find it harder to engage with the work programme
1. Establish close links with Jobcentre Plus to ensure that their clients receive the right service and get referred to the Work Programme in the correct customer group.
2. Have a more flexible approach to outcomes that takes into account the distance travelled towards employment 3. Improve assessments by Job Centre Plus to ensure that homeless people are not assigned to the wrong group 4. Avoid sanctioning disadvantaged clients wherever possible
2. When clients are referred to the Work Programme, actively engage with Programme providers to ensure that client needs are identified and appropriate support provided. 3. Ensure that clients understand what they have been asked to do - and the consequences if they do not do it.
5. Improve the minimum service offer
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COMMENT
CONNECT MARCH 2012 | ISSUE 45
donations or, increasingly, by social enterprise. The establishment of the Flexible Support Fund from Jobcentre Plus is welcome and has enabled some agencies to develop programmes and offer services that would otherwise have been impossible. That said, the lack of publicity and clarity around this potential source of funding has probably led to reduced opportunities for agencies and their clients. CONCLUSION I suspect few would challenge the idea that paid employment, where it is possible, can provide motivation, fulfilment, social engagement and a sense of purpose. The emphasis the Government has placed on providing an enhanced service to homeless people at Jobcentre Plus is a welcome step - although it does demand that the homelessness sector engage with Jobcentre Plus managers and staff to make this work. The Work Programme, on the other hand, is more troubling. The payment by results model can lead to a drive to meet targets rather than needs – and I do not believe the risks of agencies creaming and parking have been sufficiently offset by paying more or less for a job outcome based simply on benefit type.
Q: We asked contributors to our March Employment conference:
What should be the biggest priority in supporting homeless people into work? Here’s what they said...
You could also argue that DWP is paying too much for easier outcomes and not offering enough incentive to
IAIN MCDIARMID
providers to provide an effective service to those furthest
ST MUNGO’S
from the job market.
Work is both a stage you reach in your recovery and perhaps the biggest single contributor to making sure
In 2010, DWP presented the Work Programme as a
that recovery is sustainable. Consequently it’s not a
potential solution for voluntary sector funding shortfalls.
separate priority to an organisation like ours, but rather an
To date, this has not been the case for homelessness
integral part of our overriding priority; supporting people’s
and other sectors. However, we can at least ensure
recovery.
that clients’ needs are met, that they are supported in navigating the process, and that any risks are minimised.
REBECCA EZEKIEL TRINITY HOMELESS PROJECTS
Paul Anders is Homeless Link’s Employment Manager
People talk to people, people listen to people, people help people. People are people no matter how complex the needs or multiple the exclusion and there are many contributing factors that work collaboratively to achieve results. At Trinity we say that we are ‘more than just a roof over your head’ and our comprehensive approach is fundamental to helping people into employment. Our skills and attitude contribute to faithful communication and effective partnership working. Accepting people without attaching labels restores dignity and builds self
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esteem, allows people to identify their strengths and
COMMENT
regard homeless as a barrier to work.
motivations for making changes to discover their own, bountiful inner resources.
JOHN HAMBLIN SHEKINAH MISSION
KIRSTY MCHUGH
Having run a successful employment programme for
ERSA
the last 7 years, all of the evidence we have, identified
I have three priorities. First, we need better sharing of
the following as key priorities for success. Good pre
information between agencies about people’s personal
employment training linked to real employment
circumstances and a confluence of funding streams
opportunities is vital. Far too much training is delivered
around the individual. How can we expect the most
which whilst enjoyable, has little relevance to future
vulnerable in society to navigate a bureaucratic system?
employment. Equally, ongoing support post employment
Second, we must track the experiences of individuals
is crucial, both for the employee and in many cases the
within mainstream programmes. And third, we know
employer. Finally we have always secured employment
that not all homeless people are in receipt of benefit and
for people because they are job ready and not because
therefore are not referred to mainstream employment
they are formally homeless, again too much is made of
support. Thus there will always be a case for targeted
the formally homeless label.
local support outside the mainstream. STEPHEN HALL DEBRA FEARNSHAW
DWP
BITC
DWP is committed to promoting social and financial
Ready for Work – an initiative of Business in the
inclusion for those at a disadvantage in the labour
Community – is a national programme that engages
market because of homelessness. We have a range of
business to support disadvantaged groups, particularly
measures that support that commitment. A particular
people who have experienced homelessness, into
focus for DWP is collaborative working between partners.
employment. Our priorities are:
Clearly homeless claimants have complex needs and so all of us - the voluntary and community sector,
•
For government to make the Work Programme
programme providers, Jobcentre Plus, Local Authorities
work effectively for clients from a homeless or
and employers – must work together to find solutions to
vulnerable background and for the homeless sector
unemployment. Homeless claimants rely upon us to help
itself. Government should also create a climate for
them transform their lives. We must not let them down.
sustainable economic growth that gives employers •
•
the confidence to create new jobs.
DENNIS PHILLIPS
For business to recognise the skills and talents of
THE TIMPSON FOUNDATION
people from a homeless background above any
It’s very simple. As an employer we make it a priority to
employment gaps or perceived barriers such as
make sure the ex-offenders who work for us have firstly,
unspent convictions or history of addiction.
a support network and secondly, somewhere to live. It
For the homeless sector to implement a work-first
always pays to go the extra mile, so we regularly put up
approach to help people build a successful working
bonds and provide references to make sure they get it.
life.
It’s about investing in a people – if they see that’s what you’re doing the retention rate is phenomenal.
STEPHEN DUNN REMPLOY
PAUL ANDERS
Remploy, the UK’s leading provider of specialist
HOMELESS LINK
employment services, aims to combine its expertise in
Many people who are a long distance from the job
helping those furthest from the jobs market with those of
market are unable to benefit fully from the Work
homelessness charities. By working together to provide
Programme because they can’t manage the level of
a tailored package of employment advice and support
engagement expected of them - recognising, and in
they can link people experiencing homelessness and
particular, finding a way to pay for the essential work that
joblessness with employers who value their skills and don’t
goes on in the pre-Work Programme space is key.
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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THE BLUFFER’S GUIDE
TO DWP PRODUCTS & SERVICES DWP’s range of products and services can be bewildering. Here we ask what they are, how can you engage with them and who needs to know about them.
THE WORK PROGRAMME
additional Sector Based Work Academy and Work Experience places.
WHAT IS IT? Up to two years of tailored in and out of work
WHO IS IT FOR? Unemployed people aged 18-24
support designed to help people into paid employment.
MANDATORY? As per aligned product - e.g. Work
Delivered by private companies, charities and the public
Programme, Work Experience, Sector Based Work
sector. Providers have the freedom to include the services
Academy etc.
they feel will be most effective – this can include training,
REFERRAL ROUTE? Jobcentre Plus adviser
mentoring, work placements, supported job search etc.
HOW MANY? 160,000 wage incentives over 3 years,
WHO IS IT FOR? People aged 18 and above who have
20,000 apprenticeship incentives over 3 years, at least
been unemployed for 9-12 months or more, and most
100,000 Work Experience and Sector Based Work
people on ESA / IB. People facing serious disadvantage in
Academy places per year.
the job market, including homeless people, people with histories of substance use and mild to moderate mental health problems can opt to join at the discretion of their
THE YOUTH CONTRACT 16 & 17
Jobcentre Plus adviser after 3 months. MANDATORY? Joining is mandatory for people on JSA,
WHAT IS IT? Support for 16-17 year old NEETs to engage
and for people on ESA other than in the Support Group.
in education, training or employment with training. This
Once on the Programme, continued participation
Programme is led by the Department for Education.
is always mandatory and the provider can require
WHO IS IT FOR? 16 & 17 year olds not in education,
customers to carry out mandatory tasks and activities.
training or employment and with low levels of
REFERRAL ROUTE? Referral by Jobcentre Plus only
educational attainment (no GCSEs at Grade C or above)
HOW MANY? Roughly 3,300,000 places over 5 years to
MANDATORY? No
2016
REFERRAL ROUTE? Primarily by local authorities HOW MANY? c.60,000 places over 3 years
THE YOUTH CONTRACT 18-24
DAY ONE PRISON RELEASE
WHAT IS IT? A series of incentives and imnproved offers, rather than a stand-alone programme. Employers have a
WHAT IS IT? Immediate access to the Work Programme,
wage incentive of £2,275 for each person recruited from
rather than at 3, 9 or 12 months.
the Work Programme and staying in the job for at least 6
WHO IS IT FOR? People released from a custodial
months. It also includes additional apprenticeship places,
sentence who make a claim for JSA will be mandated to
incentive payments for SMEs recruiting apprentices,
the Work Programme immediately. Jobcentre Plus staff
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CONNECT MARCH 2012 | ISSUE 45
will be processing any claims prior to release. People who
WORK CHOICE
do not claim JSA before leaving prison but who do so within 13 weeks of leaving will also be mandated to the
WHAT IS IT? 6-9 months of pre-employment support, plus
Work Programme.
longer-term in-work support. The Programme is designed
MANDATORY? Yes
to support people with disabilities into paid employment.
REFERRAL ROUTE? Jobcentre Plus advisers, either in
Delivered by private companies, and the voluntary and
prison or following release.
public sectors, includes elements such as vocational
HOW MANY? More than 60,000 people per year leave
training, CV building, job brokerage.
prison.
WHO IS IT FOR? Disabled people with complex employment support needs for whom other
NEW ENTERPRISE ALLOWANCE
DWP
provision is not suitable and those who are in work but under threat of
losing their job as a result of their
disability. WHAT IS IT? Support for unemployed people to become
MANDATORY? No
self-employed. Consists of business advice and support,
REFERRAL ROUTE? Jobcentre Plus Disability Employment
an interest-bearing loan of up to £1000 and a tapered
Advisers, voluntary sector organisations with Statutory
allowance of 1274 over months to help the transition to
Referral Organisation status, Work Programme providers.
self-sufficiency.
HOW MANY? N/A
WHO IS IT FOR? People who have been claiming JSA for 6 months or longer. People who are on, or who are required to be on the Work Programme are ineligible.
VOLUNTARY WORK EXPERIENCE
MANDATORY? Voluntary REFERRAL ROUTE? Jobcentre Plus adviser
WHAT IS IT? Up to 8 weeks unpaid work experience,
HOW MANY? N/A
expenses are met. Placement can be
with private,
voluntary or public sector organisations. Administered by Jobcentre Plus. WHO IS IT FOR? People aged 16 – 24 who have been WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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CONNECT MARCH 2012 | ISSUE 45
unemployed for between 3 and 9 months.
Benefits and expenses will be paid for the duration of the
MANDATORY? Voluntary to join, continued participation
trial, which will generally not be longer than 15 working
is now voluntary as well, although a sanction may
days. You may be able to arrange your own Work Trial
be applied if someone is asked to leave for gross
with an employer, subject to your Jobcentre Plus adviser
misconduct.
agreeing.
REFERRAL ROUTE? Jobcentre Plus advisers
WHO IS IT FOR? Generally, people on JSA for more than
HOW MANY? 100,000 per year
6 months, but anyone interested is encouraged to discuss with their Jobcentre Plus adviser who will tell them if they are eligible or not.
MANDATORY WORK ACTIVITY
MANDATORY? No REFERRAL ROUTE? Jobcentre Plus adviser
WHAT IS IT? Up to 4 weeks of unpaid work, designed to
HOW MANY? N/A
instil the habits and routines of working life. The activity is being delivered by organisations from the private, voluntary and public sectors, and the work has to be of
EMPLOYMENT ON TRIAL
benefit to the community. WHO IS IT FOR? People on JSA, any age, at the
WHAT IS IT? A prior agreement with Jobcentre Plus that a
discretion of Jobcentre Plus adviser.
customer leaving a new job of more than 16hrs per week
MANDATORY? Yes; customers who fail to complete
between 4 and 12 weeks after starting will remain eligible
a placement without good cause will lose
for JSA, reducing the risk for people prepared to try out a
their
Jobseeker’s Allowance for a minimum of 3 months.
new job but concerned about how it will work out.
REFERRAL ROUTE? Jobcentre Plus advisers
WHO IS IT FOR? Generally, people who have been
HOW MANY? Around 10,000 per year
unemployed for more than 13 weeks, but anyone interested is encouraged to talk to their Jobcentre Plus
SECTOR BASED WORK ACADEMY
adviser who will tell them if they are eligible or not. MANDATORY? No REFERRAL ROUTE? By prior agreement with Jobcentre
WHAT IS IT? Mix of pre-employment training and a work
Plus adviser
placement of up to 6 weeks, followed by a guaranteed
HOW MANY? N/A
interview. Whilst the interview is guaranteed, there is no requirement to have a job vacancy. Any external training is fully funded through the Skills Funding Agency and
COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAMME
delivered by Further Education colleges and training providers. The training is QCF accredited.
WHAT IS IT? Up to 30 hours of unpaid work per week
WHO IS IT FOR? People aged 18 or over claiming JSA or
for up to 26 weeks. The work would
in the ESA WRAG group
community benefit and is likely to be with a local
MANDATORY? Voluntary to join, risk of sanction if you
authority, charity or social enterprise. Concurrent with
leave.
the placement there will be provider-led job search and
REFERRAL ROUTE? Jobcentre Plus advisers
potential additional support of up to 10 hours per week.
HOW MANY? Up to 50,000 to March 2013, plus an
WHO IS IT FOR? The very long-term unemployed;
additional 250,000 via the Youth Contract.
typically people who have been through the
normally be for
Work
Programme without finding employment and have thus been unemployed for a minimum of 2 years.
WORK TRIAL
MANDATORY? Yes REFERRAL ROUTE? Jobcentre Plus
WHAT IS IT? Work Trial is a trial in an actual job vacancy
HOW MANY? Unknown; currently being piloted in
that gives an opportunity for an
Derbyshire; Lincolnshire, Rutland and Nottinghamshire;
employer to see how
someone gets on in a post, and allows a jobseeker to
East Anglia; and Leicestershire and Northamptonshire
show an employer that they are the right person to fill it.
JCP prior to likely national roll-out in 2013.
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FEATURES
ASSESS FOR SUCCESS Many homelessness organisations work with migrants from the European Economic Area (EEA) who are sleeping rough. Lisa Reed looks at practical employment support for this particularly vulnerable group. While many thousands of people from migrant
the labour market. It is crucial to ascertain whether an
communities are able to live and work in the UK
individual is able to work, if the work they do is available,
successfully, the story for many is not so straightforward.
whether they have certification to fulfil that role and their
Factors including exploitation by employment agencies,
English language skills.
unfamiliarity with culture and language and the lack of a network of friends and family have meant this group
Recent arrivals who have quickly become destitute
have been vulnerable to the circumstances that lead to
and those who are unable to work should be offered
sleeping rough.
reconnection quickly, but others may benefit from support to access employment and referral to Jobcentre
Many agencies, including outreach teams and day
Plus. A number of specialist responses have been
centres, have developed tailored responses for EEA
developed to help EEA migrants sleeping rough find work.
nationals, in particular those from the ‘A8’ countries which
Day centres around the country provide support in the
joined the European Union in 2009. Reconnection back
form of sourcing documents, ESOL classes, vocational
to home countries is now an established intervention that
training, CV preparation and relationship building with
has helped large numbers of people to rebuild their lives.
employers.
In deciding on the offer of support to make to an
www.homeless.org.uk/effective-action/EEAEntitlements
individual from the EEA, assessment is crucial, especially if they are new to the streets. Frontline agencies tell us that the key areas to assess are length of time in the UK,
Lisa Reed is Homeless Link’s Head of Innovation and Good Practice.
employment history, support needs and proximity to
SUPPORT INTO EMPLOYMENT
the Homelessness Transition Fund to run a targeted night
Wisbech in Cambridgeshire has traditionally had
support each day to have shelter for the night.
shelter, largely aimed at EEA nationals. There is a nightly referral process meaning that people must engage with
significant numbers of migrant workers from all over Europe who arrive looking for seasonal work in food
The night shelter has been running for over a year and
production. With the accession of the A8 countries to the
while not without its challenges, that include a culture
EU, the numbers of migrant numbers grew rapidly and
of alcohol use amongst the users of the service, it
while many worked and moved on successfully, some
provides a valuable service. Because it offers people a
people lost their employment and became homeless.
breathing space away from living on the streets, people
In recent years this led to a sharp increase in levels of
can be supported to find employment. Ferry Project has
entrenched rough sleeping and community cohesion
employment services available and has strong links with
issues.
local employers. From its opening on 17 January 2011 to 31 December 2011 it accommodated 83 individual clients
In response to this local need, Ferry Project (Luminus
leading to 72 of these finding employment.
Group’s Fenland-based homelessness charity) successfully sought funding with the local authority from
www.ferryproject.org.uk
the Migrant Impact Fund and more recently through
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GROW Helen Loosemore talks to two West Yorkshire services,
Bradford based supported housing provider – describes
Keyhouse and Foundation, about their roles in a
his first reaction to the GROW concept: “I realised at the
partnership with other organisations in the region
conference that we could replicate the GROW model in
committed to increasing employment opportunities -
Yorkshire if we had organisations working together. The
helping people with the small steps from service user
model just makes sense - and I remember someone at
to employee.
the conference saying that we can’t criticise employers for not employing our service users if we aren’t prepared
Four years ago, organisations from across West Yorkshire
to do it ourselves.”
set off to London for an employment conference, organised by London organisation Thames Reach and
Foundation, a Leeds based charity, was keen to enable
Homeless Link. They expected to return with new ideas
volunteering opportunities for existing and former
and new contacts. What they actually returned with was
customers, to offer a key step on the road to employment.
the inspiration to change the way their organisations
“We wanted to break down the barriers that had
viewed service user engagement.
prevented people from volunteering when they are still receiving support,” says Laura Strickland, Foundation’s
The conference was themed around GROW - Giving
Academies Manager. “Historically, customers had to be
Real Opportunities for Work – an approach pioneered
either a customer or a volunteer. We wanted to say: you
by Thames Reach as part of their own commitment to
can be both.”
increasing the numbers of employees with a personal experience of being homeless by providing real
The result was a partnership between five organisations
opportunities for work.
based in Leeds and Bradford - Foundation, St Anne’s, Keyhouse, St George’s Crypt and Horton Housing –
THE VISION
chaired by Homeless Link.
Core to GROW is the goal of creating enough momentum to change the current culture of homelessness services.
PROGRESS TO DATE
Thames Reach believes that in doing this, a large number
“I think we all thought we’d be a lot further ahead by now
of jobs could be made available for people with first-
as a collective,” says Graham Mynott, “but as individual
hand knowledge and experience of homelessness, who
organisations, we have all made huge strides in service-
have turned around their lives to the point where they are
user employment.” At Keyhouse, one ex-client is now
able to help others.
employed as a service user involvement officer, two housing apprentices have now been recruited – and they
In turn, this will improve the quality of services, raise the
actively encourage their own service users to apply for
standards of the organisation, address the discrimination
new positions.
homeless people face in the employment market – and ensure that current and former homeless people are fully
“Currently we either have a GROW volunteer in most
integrated into the organisation at all levels.
of our 22 offices,” says Laura Strickland, “or teams are working towards having one. The next step for us is to
In 2007, Thames Reach exceeded its original target of
develop the scheme so that we can open up pathways
10% of its workforce having experience of homelessness.
for our volunteers to have the opportunity to work for us or
Today, the figure is 23%.
similar organisations. We are going to look at a specific work experience scheme to help us with this.”
FIRST IMPRESSIONS Graham Mynott – Chief Executive of Keyhouse, a
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Of the other organisations in the partnership: one
CONNECT MARCH 2012 | ISSUE 45
FEATURES
GROW enables people to take the small steps from service user to employee currently has 20 former service users employed, they
was to create opportunities to share resources and
have others working as volunteers and two have been
volunteering opportunities. This is still in the planning
appointed as trustees; another organisation has a full
stage, but once working it will allow service users in
volunteering programme for current and former service
one organisation to volunteer in another, thus avoiding
users and they are looking to develop an apprenticeship
potential confidentiality issues of having people work with
programme; another has set up a social enterprise which
the people they live with.
employs service users and is seeking funding for two more apprenticeships.
I ask Graham and Laura if they have any advice for other organisations looking to set up similar GROW
CULTURE CHANGE
partnerships? “Start talking to each other about it,” says
Thames Reach acknowledges that many organisations
Graham Mynott. “Encourage each other, draw inspiration
embarking on GROW will need to undergo a culture
from other organisations and share what can be shared.”
change to make it work – including to organisational structures, staff attitudes, not to mention the nature of
Laura Strickland adds: “Start small and build up. It’s
support services that an organisation will subsequently
essential not to raise unrealistic expectations that can’t
offer to the people it works with. In their own literature
be met, particularly when your focus is on volunteering
on GROW, they stress the importance of shifting the
rather than paid work.”
organisation from an “us and them” mindset to one where homeless people become an integral part of the
But, she says, the main thing to keep focussed on is the
organisation.
very tangible benefit of the GROW model for everyone involved: “It was the next step for us in ensuring our
Laura Strickland agrees: “It’s essential to get the rest
customers had real chances to develop themselves and
of the organisation on board; get your policies and
to bring people into Foundation who had experienced
procedures in place; start a pilot to test things out and
similar issues our customers face - homelessness,
get as many people involved from the beginning.
substance misuse, mental health and offending. We
For customers to have meaningful experiences your
believe that our customer volunteers add something very
organisation has to be enthused and encouraged to try
special to the service we provide – they have been there
something new.”
and this is very powerful.”
GOING FORWARD
Helen Loosemore is Homeless Link’s Regional Manager for Yorkshire & the Humber.
One of the original aims of adopting the GROW model in partnership across organisations rather than individually
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FOLLOWING THE MONEY In December 2011 £8 million was allocated to 41
existing day centres, which are being set up using the
homelessness services across the UK to support them
grant.
in their work to end rough sleeping. Chris says: “The funding will transform how we are able to These grants came from the first round of the £20m
help rough sleepers in Kent. Information from the public
Homelessness Transition Fund, which was set up last
will enable us to react quickly and ensure that vulnerable
year to protect essential services for homeless people,
people do not become entrenched in street life. It has
encourage innovation and support communities to
also meant that we can now expand our support into
adopt the No Second Night Out (NSNO) standard – an
Medway, which up until now hasn’t had a specific rough
initiative that involves having the right services in place to
sleeper team.”
make sure that anyone who ends up on the streets gets rapid help so they don’t spend a second night out.
And they are not alone. Northampton Association for the Accommodation of Single Homeless (NAASH) received
The fund will continue to run until 2014, and as we prepare
£226,000 from the fund. “We recognise that in the current
to open the second round of funding, we take a look at
economic climate there is a growing group of people
some of the organisations who have benefitted from the
who are entering homelessness for the first time who will
grants so far.
benefit from short, intensive, practical interventions,” says Theresa Kelly from NAASH, who aim to end rough sleeping
BRIDGING THE GAP
in Northampton.
Grants began to hit services just as reports of a 23% rise in rough sleeping in England hit the headlines. Meanwhile
“We have recruited five new members of staff to support
58% of projects reported having their budgets cut in the
the roll out of No Second Night Out. Their induction
last year with 55% being told by councils to expect further
involves visiting local councils in Northamptonshire to
cuts.
explain what NSNO is about and setting up partnership arrangements with them regarding housing of customers
This is a situation Chris Coffey, Strategic Manager for
from their borough.”
the Porchlight Outreach Service based in Kent County, knows all too well. Porchlight received 787 referrals to their
Like many of the services to receive grants from the Fund,
rough sleeper service in 2010-2011, a dramatic increase
NAASH officially began their project in March so it’s still
of 93% from the previous year. As demand in the area
too early to know what impact their increased services
increases part of the current outreach service is being
will have on the area. But you only have to look at the
decommissioned and funding for the existing rough
Whitechapel Centre in Liverpool to see how these grants
sleeper service is being cut by 75%.
are already making a positive difference to the lives of people sleeping rough.
Porchlight received £250,000 from the Homelessness Transition Fund ‘to target new rough sleepers and
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
implement NSNO’. Initial needs assessments will be
The Whitechapel Centre is part of a consortium involving
undertaken through one of seven hubs operating from
all of the Liverpool City Region local
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(cont on page 25)
3
2 1
4
No one should have to sleep rough in 21st Century Britain - so we’ve launched Take a Step to raise awareness of the steps people can take to help end rough sleeping. Big steps, small steps - everyone can make a difference: homelessness professionals and health workers, politicians and members of the public - everyone. Here’s what we’d like you to do... • write the step you’re taking on the pledge sheet overleaf (page 24 is full of examples so you can see what steps others are taking) • get someone to take a photograph of you holding it up - like this... • upload the photograph to the campaign page on Facebook or on our website - you’ll find the addresses below OR, if you don’t want to upload a photograph, you can just type in the step you’re taking at either of the addresses below. Then tell everyone what you’re doing - and how they can help too.
www.homeless.org.uk/take-a-step www.facebook.com/homelesslink
CONNECT MARCH 2012 | ISSUE 45
FEATURES
authorities, The Basement, Liverpool YMCA (who also received a grant), Salvation Army, Mildmay House and the Big Issue in the North. They received a grant of £186,637 to set up their Homeless Assessment and Resolution Hub, which has been running since the end of January to ensure no new rough sleepers spend a second night on the streets. It works across two sites and provides a single point of contact for rough sleepers, a dedicated worker for every rough sleeper in the area and consistent and comprehensive assessments of need. To ensure continuity of service there is a shared IT system and Hub workers have daily face-to-face handovers. Julie Prendergast, Services Manager for the Whitechapel
How the first round of grants was distributed streets at a time of increasing economic uncertainty.
Centre, is focussed on the practical side of running the Hub. “To date we have assessed 95 individuals. We have
The Homelessness Transition Fund is proving to be an
had 61 positive outcomes for rough sleepers, including
important lifeline for these services, and charities are
reconnections, hostel accommodation, helping link
now able to apply for up to £200k in the second round of
people back to family and accessing private rented
the Main Grants Programme. Key homelessness services,
accommodation.
which are at risk of closure, will also be able to apply for grants of up to £25k to help them find ways of securing
“The Hub has had a very positive impact on supporting all
their futures, as part of a new Small Grants Programme.
the agencies in Liverpool to reduce rough sleeping. We work closely with the Rough Sleeper Enablement Service,
Both Grants are expected to open in April.
cold weather provision and street outreach team to provide a co-ordinated and targeted response to meet
The Fund encourages applications from areas that
the needs of rough sleepers. The Hub is a safe space
are experiencing high levels of rough sleeping and
for rough sleepers to come and prevents them from
homelessness, and from areas that are keen to adopt
becoming entrenched.”
NSNO and other innovations to help end rough sleeping.
Liverpool were the first area outside of London to
Sharon Allen, Chair of the Fund’s Grants Panel explains,
officially sign up to the No Second Night Out standard,
“with the number of rough sleepers on the rise in
and local Councillor Ann O’Byrne recently pledged the
many areas, we want to really focus on areas that are
consortium’s support for Homeless Link’s national Take a
experiencing the highest levels of homelessness.
step to end rough sleeping campaign, saying “We are helping to end rough sleeping by backing our local No
“We need to ensure that critical services are protected
Second Night Out initiative”. The local phoneline for the
and that initiatives, like No Second Night Out, get the
public to report rough sleepers is now being advertised
investment they need to stop homelessness before it
across the City and everyone is focussed on making the
begins.”
project work. To find out more about the Homelessness Transition Fund TAKE A STEP TO END ROUGH SLEEPING:
and how you can apply for a grant, visit:
APPLY FOR A GRANT
homeless.org.uk/fund
There’s no doubt that Liverpool provides a fantastic example of how hard work and determination can make the all-important difference for those people living on the streets. But the work they are doing is just the tip of the iceberg. Across the UK housing and homeless staff are working to keep people in accommodation and off the WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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BRIDGING THE GAP Ruth Reddecliff talks about her role in a new project
we develop real ways we can get people moving in the
between St Mungo’s and Business in the Community
right direction.
– and the impact it has had in supporting homeless people in Bristol to start their journey into work.
IAN AND KEKURA One member of that first group was Ian, a former rough
St Mungo’s manages a range of skills, education,
sleeper. At 47, he had never had a paid job but, having
volunteering and employment projects across London
completed the programme, he is now volunteering each
and the south – but Bristol based Bridge the Gap is a
week at the Compass Centre.
new venture, and is something of a departure from other projects.
“I’m getting a lot from helping others,” he says. “It’s helping me to learn more about what I’ve been through –
Funded by the City Council, it is run jointly by St Mungo’s
to fill the void of what my life has been about for all these
and Business in the Community, and the first ten clients
years. I’ve even started working towards an NVQ level
have recently completed the programme, nine of whom
three in social care. I wouldn’t expect to be given a job
are now working, volunteering or in further education. We
tomorrow without showing my commitment to a working
are currently half way through the second programme.
life. That’s why having gone through this course was particularly valuable to me.”
The programme is one of several services running at the Compass Centre. Housed alongside health, wellbeing
Another client from the first group is 25 year old Kekura.
and outreach services – so one of the first steps I took was
A skilled carpenter by trade, he moved out of his father’s
to set up referral pathways from those other services, as
house and into a shared flat when their relationship broke
well as from other homelessness organisations across the
down. However, soon after, he was made redundant
city.
when his employers faced financial pressures. With no way of paying the rent, he moved into a hostel, and
Clients can also refer themselves onto the six week
into the common dilemma of “no job, no rent money or
employability programme. We meet each week, building
deposit” as he looks to move on.
lists of aims and ambitions, and steadily over the weeks,
WEEK BY WEEK
WEEK 2: We confront barriers head on. These might
WEEK 1: We talk about aspirations, looking at the hopes
qualifications, and more. We dvide them into: what you
of individuals in the group to examples on flipcharts. We
can’t change; what you can change now; what you
try to identify the likely first steps to getting what they
might be able to change in the future.
be anything from low confidence, fear of rejection, explaining offending history, the benefits trap, lack of
want, and start looking at Smart Goal Setting, trying to chart a course that allows a person to hold onto their
WEEK 3: An employer attends the session and talks about
dreams without losing motivation and progression.
what they are looking for in an employee, and how this
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“As soon as I heard about the scheme, I signed up,”
FEATURES
or employment.
Kekura says. “It was exactly what I was looking for.” The only way to achieve that is with an investment in oneOn completion of Bridge the Gap, I made a referral for
to-one follow-up work, and a commitment not to drop
Kekura to a local social enterprise, where he was given
people the minute the course ends. There’s a therapeutic
some voluntary work using his carpentry skills. More
element to this one-to-one work, building on the
recently he has entered paid employment doing street
confidence and knowledge clients gain in the sessions.
fund-raising for a charity, which he is thrilled about – and he is optimistic about getting a paid carpentry position
Considering the high proportion of clients who have gone
at the social enterprise in the near future. He told me that
on to volunteering, education or employment, going that
doing Bridge the Gap gave him the confidence to take
extra mile with clients has clearly paid off.
those steps. It has also been important to pre-empt and plan for DIVERSITY
disengagement. In initial discussions, I try to get a good
One of the challenges day to day is the broad sweep of
grasp of where each person is in their life. On a practical
people who come to us. Some of the people we work
level, this includes having more than one method of
with are recent rough sleepers, while others might be
contacting people so they don’t become unreachable.
at risk of homelessness – and we see the full range of situations in between. Inevitably this means there is a
The partnership with Business in the Community has also
diverse range of ability. That was a major concern when
been crucial to its success. It gives the sessions a real
we started – could one service really work for everyone?
grounding in the local business community and offers attendees a chance to explore workplaces, sometimes
However, the common ground between people seems
for the first time.
to be stronger than their differences – and there are key factors that bring them together.
Ben Hilton from Business in the Community said: “This new partnership is already reaping rewards with so many
Many have low confidence and they are all overcoming
people successfully going onto further opportunities. This
something. That something might be an addiction, a
is quite an achievement.
family breakdown, financial issues – but whatever it is, they have all struggled. Also, they all have a gap in their
“We know it’s difficult for anyone to find work in the
employment history. They can identify with each other
current situation, but this scheme isn’t necessarily about
from the outset, and I have seen an informal peer support
getting people immediately into employment – we have
within the group.
other projects designed to do that. This one, as the name suggests, is about bridging the gap to be ready to work
THE KEY
– working through the various Catch 22 situations that
Although the programme is based on six weekly sessions,
homeless people can find themselves in.”
this isn’t just another training course. It only works if there
something else, whether that is volunteering, education
Ruth Reddecliff is a Project Worker on the Bridge the Gap programme in Bristol. www.mungos.org
can be evidenced. We’ll discuss transferable skills and tips
of roles to talk about. There is an opportunity to speed
for interviews – then clients can have a go at answering
interview employees.
is continuity afterwards – if clients are inspired, fired up, motivated and confident enough to move on to
interview questions themselves. WEEK 6: We need to keep momentum as the sessions WEEK 4: The fourth session is time to take stock – time to
draw to a close. We talk about other opportunities
recap on the progress we’ve made.
that can be explored straight away. We talk about volunteering, which is popular, the Ready to Work
WEEK 5: We visit a place of work – for our current course
programme – as well as exploring explore education and
it will be a shopping centre, where there is a wide range
training opportunities and paid employment vacancies. WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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CONNECT MARCH 2012 | ISSUE 45
THE FINAL PIECE OF THE JIGSAW Michael Gray, Research Manager at Social Enterprise Lift explains how the organisation supports some of society’s most disadvantaged people into work. When someone becomes homeless, one of the first things
something is. They may not have had time to consider
to suffer is structure. Without positive structure, a transition
what it is they would truly like to do, since their energies
back into work can be a never ending struggle.
are focused on more immediate concerns such as housing and benefit issues.
It has been recognised that traditional mandatory welfare to work programmes often fail to meet the
At Lift, we have created a structured programme that
multiple and complex needs of some homeless people -
acknowledges the barriers that are in the way to work,
but at the same time, evidence has shown that the vast
and instils in each and every client the belief that long
majority of homeless people are desperate to regain
term change is possible.
some sort of meaningful activity that re-establishes purpose in their lives.
Work is very often the final piece in a jigsaw of progression for an individual who has multiple barriers to contend
As a voluntary organisation, we are not in a position to
with, and from 2012, Lift will be offering a housing advice
sanction benefits, and nor do we want to. We strongly
and advocacy service alongside employment support.
believe that work related activity should be seen in a positive light. The challenge is therefore delivering a
Atara Fridler, Chief Executive of Lift believes that housing
programme of positive structure that our clients will want
issues and barriers to work need to be addressed
to engage with that will move them closer to the jobs
alongside each other if the goal of sustained work for
market.
homeless people is to be realised:
All our clients are motivated to move on to something
“Employment support and housing support have
positive, but they may not always be aware of what that
traditionally operated in silos and it is crucial that more
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FEATURES
HATIM’S STORY
provider so I could gain GCSEs in these subjects. They also
Hatim moved to London in August 2010. Having
only helped me keep my teaching skills fresh, but helped
trained as a school teacher in his home country
me practice my conversational English. My general
of Egypt, he hoped to get a teaching role in the
communication skills are so much better now.”
created a volunteering opportunity for me as a classroom assistant in their computer resource room, which not
UK. Unfortunately, his qualification was not fully recognised and he found himself without a fixed home
What Hatim has appreciated the most is how Lift staff
and a job.
worked to find opportunities that truly matched his skill set. In 2010, Lift encouraged and supported him to apply for
“Luckily, I had some friends who lived in different areas
funding to start up his own martial arts teaching business,
of London and so although I was technically homeless, I
which he was successful in achieving. Lift has continued
wasn’t actually out on the streets every night.” Hatim says.
to support him with various aspects of the business
Without proof of a regular income, Hatim found it almost
including the design and printing of professionally
impossible to rent a flat. This was a vicious cycle, because
produced promotional materials.
without a stable home life, the process of looking for a job was increasingly difficult.
“I didn’t even know that there was funding opportunities like this so it was fantastic when I found out that I’d been
It was at a meeting in his local housing office that Hatim
awarded the grant. Teaching martial arts is what I have
met one of Lift’s caseworkers who was conducting an
done back home and to get the chance to do it here
outreach session that day, and Hatim soon started to
is more than I could have imagined. I’ve grasped the
engage with Lift’s support. As Hatim explained, the staff
opportunity and used everything I’ve learnt to make a
took the time to really work out all the different things that
success of the business. I’ve already employed 5 teachers
needed to be attended to if he was going to make a
and have now got partnerships with 4 London clubs.”
success of returning to work. Hatim is now in stable accommodation, and spends his “I worked with Lift to create a CV but that was the easy
days managing and promoting his new business. He
part. I realised that I needed to improve my basic skills
describes Lift as his “other home” and continues to come
in English and Maths and Lift referred me to a learning
into Lift for assistance.
is done to bring together the provision of housing and
to address the complex needs they face by offering a
employment advice.
bespoke plan of action which helps them to begin taking the important steps needed to enter employment. What
Our clients spend an incredible amount of time dealing
we’re offering is structure and meaningful interaction
with their housing issues which is often an emotionally
which has sometimes been missing in mainstream welfare
draining experience. It can be very difficult to
to work programmes. Our own staff have often come
concentrate on moving towards employment when you
from similar backgrounds so have a real understanding
feel you have no control over your housing situation.
and empathy for of this client group.
By providing housing support at the same time as our
We enable clients to access courses which prepare
employment services, we can offer a quicker service
them to move forward and address their experiences in
response, and a job will become a far more realistic
a positive way, as well as motivational workshops and
prospect in the minds of our clients”.
language classes for those where English is not their first Language. Our training and informal learning is incredibly
Barry Harrison, Employment Services Manager at Lift,
important to our clients, giving them the self-belief that
emphasised the need to think creatively about how
they are actually making progress.”
to deliver a programme that caters for people at varying degrees removed from the jobs market: “Lift’s
www.liftpeople.org.uk
employment programme aims to support our clients WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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COMMENT
CONNECT MARCH 2012 | ISSUE 45
SELL NOT TELL David Ford, chair of Homeless Link’s Expert Panel, argues that many organisations and government bodies could do far more to include current and former service users in their work and their decision making. On 24th February, a colleague and I attended a meeting
it was a valuable hour for everyone concerned, and it’s
with a handful of civil servants at DCLG. That doesn’t
something we should see more of.
sound so unusual. It happens every day. But let me rewind and take a look at the people who attended that
THE MEETING
meeting. We had Roger Wilshaw (DCLG’s Deputy Director
The meeting was the result of a request sent by members
for Homelessness and Support), Steve Guyon (DCLG’s
of the Expert Panel to Housing Minister Grant Shapps last
Head of Rough Sleeping), and also representatives from
October. What started as a desire to express our concerns
the Supporting People team, as well as Helen Mathie –
about funding cuts became much more than that. We
Policy Manager at Homeless Link.
began to see it as an opportunity to demonstrate the value of involving people with experience like ours,
And then there was myself and my colleague, Tonny
both in practice and in policy decisions. We saw it as an
Ajoup. Both of us ex-service users, both members of
opportunity to ask for more.
Homeless Link’s Expert Panel, which I chair, and which feeds into much of policy and practice work of the
Tonny and I shared our concerns about the impact of
organisation.
funding cuts to services in our areas. We talked not only about the loss of services, but about remaining services
In my experience, that isn’t a typical mix of minds – but
becoming far less flexible as they are forced to restrict the
COMING FULL CIRCLE Three people who have experienced homelessness
they helped me into a new way of thinking – then they
and who are now working for homelessness services
helped me through a mentoring course, which set me on
explain what is important to them about working in
the path to working for them now.
the sector. It’s an amazing job. A lot of the people I’m working with TOMMY ALLMAN
now knew me when I was on the streets. Now I can see
SUPPORT WORKER – THE BASEMENT
them slowly putting the bottle down, learning to let go,
I first started using The Basement as
learning to trust that they can do without – and seeing
a rough sleeper about seven years
how I’ve changed myself.
ago. I always liked the friendliness, the security – and most importantly
80% of staff at The Basement have experienced some
the fact that the staff didn’t judge. They very rarely
form of homelessness – and a huge number have
exclude – you’d have to do something pretty extreme for
experienced addiction. It helps engender trust. It helps
that to happen.
people come full circle and see what they can be.
The Basement helped me through my recovery after my
For instance, there’s a guy who I was on the streets with.
girlfriend died in 2009. They helped me through detox,
Now he’s volunteering with us. Recovery is contagious.
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type and length of support they can offer to a person.
COMMENT
AN UNDERVALUED RESOURCE The fact is people who have experienced homelessness
We urged DCLG and its regional advisers to “sell not
can be a very rich resource but, when it comes to
tell” when trying to influence local authorities and
employment, it’s easy to be overlooked - even when we
services – and to involve people who have experienced
have the skillsets and a real drive to give back to the
homelessness in the process.
services that have helped us.
This led to a discussion about how personalisation and
I can understand the dilemma. Given a choice between
co-production of policies and delivery of services can
a well-qualified, experienced professional, and someone
lead to more effective support. Tonny shared examples
whose life experience is their main qualification for a
from the SHP client panel he is on, which has led to the
job, on balance the employer is more likely to choose
organisation making real changes to the way it works.This
the professional. But looking at the potential of that
is not tokenistic service user involvement - I think there’s
person with the life experience – considering what they
always a danger of that - the group is given a far more
could become, with training and workplace experience,
equal role in various areas, including the co-production
considering what their life experience has already given
of staff training, rather than just being consulted about
them – is the qualified professional always the best person
its content after the fact. Roger and his team were really
for the job?
impressed with this and invited Homeless Link’s Expert Panel members to contribute to a DCLG co-production
I’m not trying to demean the work of professionals. I owe
group to feed in our experiences about what works best
so much to them personally. But this is a very complex
in taking this kind of approach.
sector, and as I see it the people it helps can rarely be helped by one approach alone.
The meeting will lead to more involvement. It was productive all round. I think Roger and his team felt
RAPPORT
genuinely challenged by what we said. Most importantly
In my own experience of running drop-ins and offering
we were taken seriously.
peer support to people, the biggest single factor in achieving the level of communication and trust needed
That isn’t always the case.
to help someone forward, is rapport. And the most
KATRINA KNIGHT
BCHA do nurture people, and they’re very big on
STREET OUTREACH WORKER - BCHA
involving ex-service users as volunteers. It can be part of
I’ve been employed by BCHA for four
the recovery process, and from my perspective it’s great
years now.
to see people moving on like that.
When I started as a temp at a night
When I was street homeless myself this sort of help wasn’t
shelter I knew I’d found my vocation. Because of what I’d
available. I could only rely on the public. There was no
been through, well I could relate to their fears and their
system in place.
barriers. I could empathise and take them through the thought processes I’d been through myself.
I certainly never felt that I could move on and actually become successful and make something of myself.
I knew that sense of lack of worthiness – but I found I could help boost people’s self esteem. I could help to
One of the most incredible things in my role is to see
motivate them.
how people can recover – moving on from street life to independent healthy living. It’s difficult – and I know I
I think an important part of my role is to act as signposter.
sometimes end up preaching – but when it happens it’s
It’s my job to know the process, so I can handhold.
so rewarding.
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COMMENT
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effective rapport comes through commonality. Finding
is so inspiring. Over the past few years, it has seen the
common ground is what we do every day of our lives as
number of Thames Reach employees with experience of
we interact with others. When support is being offered, I’d
homelessness rise to 23%. Through their National GROW
argue that the best rapport will come from people who
Programme, other services throughout England are doing
have been through similar situations to the people they’re
the same. Just think of how much richer services might
helping – if only because they’re living proof that moving
be if they all aimed for similar levels of former service user
on and improving your life is possible. Obviously no one is
employment.
going to seriously suggest that homelessness professionals should go through the trauma of actually becoming
FUTURE OF THE EXPERT PANEL
homeless in order to gain a deeper rapport with service
At last night’s Expert Panel meeting, I was reminded how
users. That’s neither realistic nor practical. But look at it
much the group has to offer in experience, common
the other way – offering full training to former service users
sense and wisdom. If you consider what they have
to help professionalise them. That sounds both realistic
learned from their own personal battles, and how
and practical.
that can make a difference, I think you truly have an inspirational and dedicated force to be reckoned with.
Some services are looking at that approach. St Mungo’s PAL is a great example. Those working on the scheme
What started as a panel of advisors to Homeless Link’s
love it – and those using it prefer it.
Chief Executive now feeds into policy more broadly across the organisation. The Expert Panel is building ties
23% AND COUNTING
with DCLG, which will lead to more involvement in future
So could it happen more widely? And at what point
– and we are looking to expand the remit of the Panel
can a person who has volunteered in a scheme like
by linking with groups of service users throughout the
PAL expect to be able to move into a paid role within
regions. We believe that there is room for us and people
the sector. There’s no doubt that the sector benefits
like us in the decisions the homelessness sector makes
immensely from service user volunteers – but I do worry
and in the work that it does – at all levels. The fact is that
that perhaps it sometimes takes advantage of the
services have an invaluable resource in the people they
dedication found in people who have transformed
support.
their lives and who want to help others do the same. That is why a scheme like GROW from Thames Reach
Our ask is quite simple: include us.
COMING FULL CIRCLE - cont. RICHARD JONES
feeding into our policy work, now meeting with DCLG.
POLICY & RESEARCH ASSISTANT HOMELESS LINK
I’d like to see the Panel take on a more formal role – more
Work has been part of recovery – that
like Homeless Link’s NAC. Its ‘raw voice’ really is a good
measure of autonomy and responsibility
balance for the ‘considered voice’.
gives a good opportunity to shape things.
Education is such a crucial part of moving on too. It’s more than just knowledge - it’s social too. Just as that’s
My involvement in developing the Homeless Link’s Expert
key for children, it’s also key for people reintegrating with
Panel has been one of the most fulfilling parts of my job.
society and rebuilding themselves.
It wasn’t originally part of the role I was brought on board to do, but it has been great to see how it has evolved.
Particularly when you look at youth homelessness and recovery from addictions, education can really give
It’s gone from being a group of current and former
the opportunity and space to find out what you have a
service users advising our senior management, to
passion for.
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FEATURES
BUSINESS ACTION IN TYNESIDE In October 2010 The Cyrenians, a charity supporting
at the forefront of good practice. Currently 30% of The
some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged
Cyrenians employees have previously used at least one
people in the North East, acquired the franchise to
of their services. This puts the Charity in a position to be
deliver the Business Action on Homelessness (BAOH)
able to successfully deliver the BAOH programme.
Programme in the region. Ready for Work is a further expansion to the groundSince the programme started, The Cyrenians have
breaking schemes for which The Cyrenians is recognised.
successfully helped 57 previously homeless people into
As the homeless organisation which is leading the way
work.
in employing service users the scheme also underlines The Cyrenians’ commitment to working with the private
BAOH was launched with the aim of working with local
sector.
businesses to equip homeless people with the skills to gain and sustain employment. With employment being
A number of companies across the region already
cited as one of the key routes out of homelessness
support the programme. These include Greggs, Sage,
the campaign has expanded rapidly and is currently
Marks and Spencer, Carillion, PriceWaterHouseCoopers,
operating in 23 cities across the UK and Ireland. It
Virgin Money, Gentoo, Barclays and Siemens among
involves over 200 companies and most importantly helps
others.
a large proportion of homeless people get back into employment through it’s Ready for Work programme.
With successful clients gaining jobs ranging from IT Technician, Admin Worker, Finance Officer and Retail
This key programme works closely with local homelessness
Assistant to Wind Turbine Technician Apprentice and
organisations to identify people who are ‘ready for work’
Solar Panel Technician. This is an exceptionally fantastic
but who lack confidence or skills and/or have been out
achievement given the current economic climate.
of the workplace for a long time. Those people are then matched to a two-week work placement with a local
Businesses work with The Cyrenians to provide job
business and supported by a ‘buddy’ from that company
opportunities and two-week work placements to clients
who supports them in the completion of their Ready for
and The Cyrenians provide a service to match the needs
Work placement.
of the business to the skills of the client.
A significant number of The Cyrenians clients have had
If you are a business interested in getting involved, please
little or no work experience and may previously have
contact Val Nevin, Assistant Director on v.nevin@tcuk.org
been discriminated against within the employment sector
or telephone 0191 2738891.
looking for employment opportunities. It is in this area The Cyrenians takes innovative and positive action. Their work to provide training and employment opportunities to excluded individuals has been recognised as being
For more information about Business Action on Homelessness, visit: bit.ly/connect-baoh
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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ARTS
CONNECT MARCH 2012 | ISSUE 45
“AMAZE YOURSELF!” Homeless Link has teamed up with Streetwise Opera
local artists and arts organisations across England to build
to deliver a three year project to increase homeless
partnerships and deliver a range of creative activities
people’s participation in arts and creative activities.
including digital photography, dance, creative writing
Jessica Plant explains why this isn’t window dressing -
and craft groups.
it should at the heart of what we do. Our partner, Streetwise Opera - an award-winning charity Involvement in arts and creative activities can have a
that focuses on the personal development of homeless
positive impact on anyone – but when that involvement
people through music-making - will be delivering its
is from people who have experienced trauma, exclusion,
innovative workshops throughout the project. They
addiction and other complexity in their lives, the impact
already work with more than 500 homeless people a
can be immense.
year, offering opportunities to build confidence, as well as putting on public performances of their work.
CREATING ABILITY A recent report by Lemos and Crane, ‘Create-Ability:
CHOICES
the changing meaning of art and artistry’, talks about
I’m concerned at the moment that funding cuts to
how artistic endeavours such as music, drama and visual
services will result in the loss of creative projects amongst
arts can offer people opportunities to be mindful, build
our members. With homelessness rising in the UK, it
self-esteem, gain social capital, increase wellbeing –
seems more important than ever that we provide ways
and even help build the personal skills and confidence
for individuals to gain independence through inspiring
necessary to sustain employment.
activities.
Creative activities provide a focus on something positive
As well as the benefits to the individual, these activities
– and in many ways, that alone is crucial for people
have been proven to be cost-effective with a recent
who may have poor support networks, mental ill health,
report by New Philanthropy Capital claiming that arts
substance use issues and insecure housing.
activities can actually reduce local costs by reducing reoffending rates.
THE PROJECT Get Creative: arts for all launched in December 2011,
We’ll be building an online toolkit to share good practice
when we began working with homelessness agencies,
and to support agencies to set up activities at low cost, while ensuring it is meaningful. Get Creative: arts for all has been funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation with additional funding from Arts Council England. To find out more about Get Creative: arts for all - and how you can get involved - visit: www.homeless.org.uk/arts
Jessica Plant Homeless Link’s arts project coordinator 34
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ARTS
Participants from The Booth Centre, Manchester taking part in Royal Exchange Theatre workshops Photography by Joel Fildes
RAISING ASPIRATIONS THROUGH ART AT THE BOOTH CENTRE
activities as a valuable process for people. It is important that they recognise it is an integral part of the support offered, not just an add-on. Two: motivating clients to participate it is vital to ensure that service user involvement is at the heart of delivery – setting up activities that people have
The Booth Centre, a small day centre in the centre of
invested in means there is more chance of success. Types,
Manchester, boasts a vibrant programme of artistic and
times and locations of activities need to be flexible and
creative projects to engage people who are socially
realistic. A wider range of activities on offer means more
excluded in complex ways. It is able to provide fantastic
clients will find something that is right for them.
opportunities through its partnerships with the Royal Exchange Theatre, Streetwise Opera, Opera North, local
Three: building and maintaining excellent external
museums and galleries, and national projects such as
relationships
Open Cinema.
One of the key ingredients at the Booth Centre is partnerships with local institutions, such as the Royal
The Centre’s relationship with the Royal Exchange
Exchange.
Theatre, which actively involves different groups in the cultural hub of the city centre, has been particularly
THE IMPACT
successful. The theatre helps in several ways, such as
For staff, the impact of the activities could be apparent
deliver workshops, performances, free tickets and tours
immediately in how they made people feel about
of the building. It also provides rehearsal space and
themselves and their self-esteem, “often people come
supports shows.
in miserable and leave happy, it has a real impact on people’s mood.”
HOW DOES IT WORK? There have been three critical factors that have made
Overwhelmingly, clients talked about the sense of feeling
the creative and artistic activities on offer a success.
like an equal at the Booth Centre and being treated and respected in a way they didn’t often feel. As one group
One: getting the staff on board
member said, “You can amaze yourself.”
Staff are a huge asset for any service, and they need to be motivated at all levels to see arts and creative
www.boothcentre.org.uk WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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CONNECT MARCH 2012 | ISSUE 45
THE MONKEY ON THE BACK Homelessness organisations are in regular contact with adults with poor literacy, so they are ideally placed to identify issues and support people to tackle them. Victoria Aseervatham introduces a new toolkit that helps to ensure opportunities aren’t missed. I am no expert on literacy.
and rolling it out across all our hostels. The model involves linking up learners with coaches (hostel residents, workers
How’s that for the opener to an article on how to help
or external volunteers) and working together through a
improve it? Let me expand on that: I am no expert on
phonics-based manual called Yes We can Read.
literacy – and that is precisely the point of this article. We don’t need to be experts to put practical systems in place
At time of writing, we’ve had
and make a big difference for the people we work with.
around 50 learners using the programme – and it has been
Literacy is rarely discussed in many services and, when it
hugely successful, winning
is, referring a person to a local college often feels like the
recognition with a runner up prize
only option. For many that is a step too far. A less formal
in last year’s Andy Ludlow Awards.
approach is needed, with more emphasis on one-to-one learning – and with sensitivity to the particular needs,
SPREADING WORDS
issues, abilities and confidence of the person trying to
So we’ve done the legwork, and
learn.
we know the programme could benefit other services. To share
THE ISSUE
it with you, we’ve launched a
In Westminster, although we knew there was a problem,
Literacy Toolkit for Homelessness
we weren’t sure how to go about dealing with it.
Organisations to show how
Research from Thames Reach in 2010 (“Turning the Key:
services across the sector can
Portraits of low literacy amongst people with experience
cheaply and effectively maximise
of homelessness”) showed that 9% of people with
opportunities to tackle literacy
experience of homelessness had a serious reading
and other basic skills needs.
difficulty and 38% had trouble understanding written materials. While a lack of reading skills does not mean a
It is based on three key literacy
lack of intelligence, many non-readers will believe this of
actions that every homelessness
themselves. Crucially, it means they are more likely to be
organisation should consider
unemployed; more likely to have housing problems; less
taking…
likely to be in good health; more likely to have children who also struggle with basic skills; less likely to be involved
SCREENING
in public life, community organisations or to vote – and
Screening for literacy needs is
they’re over represented in prisons and young offenders
crucial. In the past, so many of
institutions.
our assessment forms included nothing about literacy – or if they
PRACTICAL ACTION
did, it was just a single tick box.
To do nothing was not an option, so in 2011 we went from
We were totally missing the issue -
head-scratching to designing a pilot literacy programme
and many opportunities.
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FEATURES
The Toolkit details two possible approaches to screening.
problems, Yes We Can Read (www.yeswecanread.co.uk)
The Fast Track Assessment produced by the National
really is the answer. It has worked with every type of
Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE), is
client you can imagine, including crack and heroin users,
specifically designed to be used by non specialist staff
drinkers, people with mental health support needs, and
to make an early identification of basic skills needs.
others with memory issues. There can be a lot of variation
It is comprised of 20 questions which take 10 minutes,
in the rate at which people’s reading skills improve – but
but some hostels have condensed it to just 5 questions.
that’s one of the benefits of a on-to-one model.
Alternatively, the Thames Reach Literacy Toolkit offers an alternative, discussion based approach.
Even for the fastest learners, it takes time – so volunteers are the best way to deliver this. These volunteer coaches
Obviously, the assessment must be appropriate to the
can include other homelessness service users, who
service – for instance a day centre might need a far
have been particularly successful because of the sheer
briefer approach – but all services should have some
convenience of being on hand to do regular sessions.
form of consistent, universal assessment in place. There’s also a place for hostel and day centre workers LITERACY COORDINATOR
doing coaching – particularly with more chaotic people
Someone needs to organise screening and people’s
who need some persuasion at the beginning to give it a
options, so it is important to nominate a Literacy
go.
Coordinator to keep things running. They don’t need
WIDER BASIC SKILLS NEEDS
experience or a background in
For people who can read fluently but who are seeking
teaching – they’re likely to be
help with writing, spelling, comprehension and numeracy,
a generic hostel or day centre
colleges provide dedicated services to which clients
worker, and the toolkit Decision
should be signposted.
Tree will help them work out the best approach on a case by
However, for many the step is a big leap and there
case basis.
is much that homelessness organisations can do to build the confidence to consider a more formal
They will be responsible for:
learning setting. A series of tried and tested ideas that
ensuring literacy screening takes
homelessness workers, who are not basic skills experts,
place with all new service users;
can use are detailed in the toolkit. Simple ideas – for
maintaining a log of residents
instance, getting people to write for 5 minutes a day
who want help; maintaining
and then working on problem areas using worksheets
a resource file of information
– can really help to improve skills and boost learners’
on best practice and literacy
confidence.
services for other key workers to access (college prospectuses,
KICK THE MONKEY
library resources, spelling, writing
Poor literacy is often described as the ‘monkey on the
and numeracy resources, dyslexia
back’. So much of modern life is based on this basic skill
help etc); liaising with external
– gaining employment and engaging with services, even
volunteers and recruiting, training
before you start looking at improving self-confidence,
and supporting peer coaches.
and to moving on from homelessness and exclusion. Time and again we have seen that once people tackle their
YES WE CAN READ
literacy problems they go on to build the confidence to
Offer Yes We Can Read as
achieve in other areas of their lives.
an option for service users with serious reading problems
You can download the toolkit from:
matched up with volunteer
bit.ly/connect-literacy
coaches. We’ve found that for service users with serious reading
Victoria Aseervatham is Westminster City Council’s Deputy Head of Rough Sleeping Commissioning Strategy WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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FEATURES
CONNECT MARCH 2012 | ISSUE 45
KEEPING WORK The homelessness sector works hard to support its clients to become work-ready and move into employment, and Government policy is making a move into employment an increasing priority for our clients. But, once homeless people are in work, what helps them keep the jobs that they start? New research currently being conducted by Broadway aims to find out. Very little is known about what really works in supporting
Broadway’s Keeping Work research will dig deeper into
homeless people to stay in work. What we do know is that
the issues which previous research has uncovered, to find
a shockingly high number of homeless people fall out of
out what helps homeless people stay in work.
work: figures from one leading provider of employment support to homeless people show that only one third
We will be conducting in-depth interviews with 60
of their clients who started new jobs were still in work six
homeless people (people living in homelessness hostels
months later – even given the support they received.
or supported housing or sleeping rough) who are starting new jobs.
As one homeless person said, in research conducted by Business Action on Homelessness and the New Economics
We will conduct regular interviews with them from the
Foundation :
moment they get their job offer, over a period of one year, to find out how they are getting on, whether they
“There’s loads of money being spent getting people into
are still in work, and what factors have helped them to
work and there is nothing being spent getting them over
stay in work or led to them falling out of work. People
the threshold… it’s like a bride getting married and you
who are interested will also be asked to contribute to the
can imagine all the effort that goes into the wedding
research via video diaries, online discussion forums and
but when she walks up the aisle and there is no husband
blogging.
there, well then, all the money and effort hasn’t been worth it.”
A wide range of organisations are involved in the research, and we hope it will really influence practice
Broadway’s specialist research team, in partnership with
and policy, to make a real difference for homeless
Business Action on Homelessness and with the support
people starting work. The research is being funded by
of a number of leading homelessness agencies, has just
Trust for London and (subject to contracting) steering
started research to find out more.
group members the Department for Work and Pensions. Business Action on Homelessness, Crisis, SHP, St. Mungo’s
THE ‘KEEPING WORK’ RESEARCH
and Thames Reach are all helping us find people to
Little research has been conducted about homeless
take part in the research and are advising us on the
people’s experiences in work – most of it focuses on
steering group. Other steering group members include
barriers to entering work in the first place. The most
the Department for Communities and Local Government,
comprehensive studies in this area include Sustainable
Homeless Link and two of the prime contractors for the
employment: supporting people to stay in work and
Work Programme, CDG and Seetec.
advance by the National Audit Office; Making Work Work and Work it Out by Business Action on Homelessness and
BARRIERS TO KEEPING WORK – WHAT DO WE KNOW?
the New Economics Foundation; Work Matters, by St
The existing research suggests that homeless people can
Mungo’s and Demos; and a number of publications by
experience a number of barriers to keeping work:
Off the Streets and Into Work.
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FEATURES
Casual, temporary or part-time contracts
Support needs and lack of support
The employment homeless people go into is often casual,
Stress at work can sometimes make it more difficult for
temporary or part-time. Broadway’s research aims to find
people who are managing drug, alcohol or mental
out what happens next to people who go into temporary
health issues to cope with these issues. Research
work, how they can be better supported, and whether
by Business Action on Homelessness shows that an
anything can be done to make work more secure for
individual’s emotional resilience can be crucial at work.
homeless people.
Before the introduction of the Work Programme in May 2011, the usual target of employment support workers
The benefits system
was to help people to gain – rather than to sustain –
Research suggests that the benefits system can cause
employment. Broadway’s research aims to explore what
financial strain and make starting and staying in work
support homeless people might need at work, and
difficult for many homeless people. It can be particularly
how this can best be delivered. We will also explore the
difficult for people moving in and out of work on
impact of the introduction of the Work Programme in
temporary contracts, for those who are not aware of the
supporting homeless people to move into, and stay in,
in-work benefits they are entitled to, and for those who
work.
find they are not (or are only minimally) better off when they work. Broadway’s research aims to explore whether,
Keeping updated
and how far, the current benefits system may be a barrier to staying in work, and how Universal Credit could make it
Please visit our website www.keepingwork.org to view the
easier for people to stay in work.
latest news relating to homelessness and employment, keep up to date with the research, register to receive
Inappropriate accommodation
project reports, read blogs by homeless people starting
Previous research suggests that some hostels and
work, and join in with our forum discussions.
temporary accommodation can be unsuitable for working tenants. It describes, for example, noise through the night, showers which are not hot early in the mornings, and hot evening meals being served before people
For more information about the project, contact Juliette Hough, Broadway’s Research Manager, on 020 7710 0601, email Juliette.hough@broadwaylondon.org.
return from work. In addition, the particularly high rents that some hostels demand of working tenants can
www.keepingwork.org
contribute to in-work poverty, exacerbated by some staff being unaware of the availability of in-work benefits. Our research aims to explore these issues further and seek possible solutions to them.
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
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FEATURES
CONNECT MARCH 2012 | ISSUE 45
MANAGING PEOPLE
Dear Helen,
Let me start by saying this isn’t something you should embark upon because it looks good in your statistics. The experience that people who have been homeless bring is invaluable; it isn’t something you should use to tick a box. Diversity as a driver of service user employment schemes is good because it means employing people with all different perspectives – but this isn’t the only thing you should do to ensure you have a diverse workforce. The other reason that organisations across the sector feel that this is something they should
I kn ow a num be r of service s actively seek to em ploy people who have bee n helped by th e sector, wheth er for the ad de d p o we r o f a p e er perspective or sim ply beca us e from a divers it y perspective it feels rig ht to do so (n ot to me ntion looking go od in stats). Wha t are the pro s a nd cons for those people, for colleag ue s a nd for ma nageme nt?
do, is because if we are asking companies to offer clients the chance to work, we ought to be putting our
been put in place.
money where our mouth is and doing the same ourselves. I think for a small organisation employing current or Employing people who have been helped by the sector
recent service users can be a huge opportunity –
doesn’t have to involve employing a current or recent
but also a challenge. One of the key things to think
service user. It could mean offering second or third jobs to
through is what resources there will be to support the
people who have already been through trainee schemes
new employees –if you are calling them ‘trainees’ that
run by other homelessness organisations or who have
implies they are going to receive training; are you able
gained relevant qualifications and work experience
to provide this? In some cases, as a consequence of the
elsewhere. They will enhance your organisation with their
experiences that have been associated with a person’s
perspective and you will be enabling them to develop
homelessness, they will need a lot of structured time and
their career.
support. Do you have enough staff to provide support to them if they are finding the transition to employment
If an organisation is looking at employing current service
a challenge? Or can you make an arrangement to
users, it needs to be clear what the objectives for the
share resources with a few local organisations who want
individuals and the organisation are, and what resources
to develop the same opportunities. Larger providers
are available. I have seen some spectacular success
like People Can, Thamesreach and St Mungo’s run very
stories but also some significant failures. When things do
successful trainee schemes that give this level of support;
go wrong, it is invariably the person who was employed
more and more organisations are developing schemes –
who suffers the most.
you don’t have to re-invent the wheel.
It’s good for service providers to challenge themselves
Adding a peer perspective to enhance service quality
about what we believe people are capable of, but not to
is a valid objective, but it does not mean that all
set them up to fail because the resources, commitment
homeless people are best suited to a job in homelessness
and other essential building blocks for success haven’t
services, or that it is impossible to run excellent services
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FEATURES
where nobody in the team has direct experience of
through when it becomes clear (whether someone
homelessness. It is interesting that when I recently asked
has been helped by the sector or not) that despite
a group of our service users about the skills and qualities
reasonable training and support, it isn’t going to work
of their ideal worker, they all wanted a worker who was
out. Certainly as Supporting People funded services are
a good listener, empathetic, resourceful, and reliable
increasingly squeezed on resources, I worry that it will
in delivering on promises. They didn’t care if they had
become difficult to support service user employment
had experience of homelessness themselves. But if a
initiatives.
person has all these competences, and has relevant life experience as well, this can’t fail to complement
Client volunteering schemes are a sensible way of
positively what any service team has to offer our clients.
supporting people towards employment and being able to identify when they are ready to take up paid
You shouldn’t limit your thinking to client facing roles.
employment. Through such schemes people can get
It could be that there are people with experience
used to the basic requirements of being accountable
of homelessness who have the competences for
and reliable, taking responsibility for completing and
fundraising, working in finance or in policy and research.
finishing tasks, managing their emotions and relating well to others. They also get the opportunity to find out
There are lots of things that the organisation needs to
what their real interests and skills lie: do they want to
work through and put in place to be ready for employing
do front-line work with clients or are they more suited to
current service users (and don’t forget that trainees are
business support roles? Do they really want to work in the
employees). Employing someone is one of the most
homelessness sector or somewhere else entirely?
significant tasks an organisation carries out and for the sake of your service users, the people you are employing
Broadway has just started an exciting longitudinal
and all of your other staff it is really important that you
research project, ‘Keeping Work’ about homeless
do everything you can to ensure the right decisions are
people’s experiences of starting new jobs – what helps
made. You are still going to have to assess people’s
them keep the jobs they start, what they find hard about
core competences for the role and their readiness to be
starting new jobs, and why some fall out of work. The
employed – have you thought about how you will do this?
research is funded by Trust for London and (pending
What the interview process will involve and how you will
agreement) the Department for Work and Pensions, and
assist people to go through it? You may also have to think
is being conducted in partnership with Business Action on
about how you will deal with referencing, CRB checks,
Homelessness. When published in spring 2013 the report
approach issues of boundaries and confidentiality,
will provide a valuable resource to those organisations
and often how to deal with initial resistance of staff and
who want to think through how they are best placed to
service managers to the idea.
support service users into work.
Many smaller organisations may worry that they are less
Helen Giles is HR Director of Broadway and Managing Director of Broadway’s Real People HR consultancy www.broadwaysrealpeople.com
able to bear the risk if things don’t work out. This includes the processes and procedures that have to be gone
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
41
MICHAEL WHIPPMAN CLIENT INVOLVEMENT AWARD 2012 Celebrating client led physical activity projects that are inclusive and improve participants’ well being.
Looking after our wellbeing isn’t always easy, especially whilst homeless. Regular physical activity offers a way to improve an individual’s well being and reduce feelings of depression and anxiety. This award is celebrating all types of activity: walking, swimming, jogging, gardening, dancing, anything; the important thing is that everybody has the opportunity to do something.
The deadline for applications is Friday 20 April 2012.
020 7840 4461
AWARDS@HOMELESSLINK.ORG.UK
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK/MW2012
CONNECT MARCH 2012 | ISSUE 45
WHAT’S ON?
INSPIRED
UPCOMING TRAINING AND EVENTS FOR THE HOMELESSNESS SECTOR:
APRIL
MAY - JULY
11
17
GETTING IT RIGHT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
MAY
One-day, youth led, national conference that aims to put young people at the forefront of service provision
HOMELESSNESS TRANSITION FUND A free online event to provide guidance on the application process for round 2 of the Homelessness Transition Fund 3:00-4:00PM http://bit.ly/connect-htf-webinars
30
HOMELESSNESS TRANSITION FUND A free online event to provide guidance on the application process for round 2 of the Homelessness Transition Fund 10:00-11:00AM
BIRMINGHAM
www.homeless.org.uk/right-for-young-people
910
HOMELESS LINK ANNUAL CONFERENCE UNIVERSITY OF WARWICK For more information, please call 020 7840 4461
JULY
http://bit.ly/connect-htf-webinars
STAY IN THE LOOP For up to date information on events and training, visit...
www.homeless.org.uk/conference-diary www.homeless.org.uk/training ...and subscribe to our regular member bulletins...
www.homeless.org.uk/keep-informed
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK
43
COMMENT
CONNECT MARCH 2012 | ISSUE 45
RESOURCES We’ve pulled together a list of resources and research related to the features in CONNECT 44. If you have any information you would like to share with our member organisations, please write to editor@homelesslink.org.uk.
HOMELESS LINK INFORMATION
PUBLICATIONS
Take a Step - to help end rough sleeping
SNAP 2012
Join our new campaign - on our website or on
Explore the results of this year’s annual Survey of
Facebook.
Needs and Provision.
homeless.org.uk/take-a-step
homeless.org.uk/snap2012
facebook.com/homelesslink 2010 Street count and estimates by area Effective Action
bit.ly/streetcount2010
A new series of good practice guidance including cold winter provision, day centres and
Latest DCLG statutory homelessness figures
gauging the extent of rough sleeping
bit.ly/homelessness-q2-2011
homeless.org.uk/effective-action Homelessness Transition Fund Keep up to date on criteria, dates for funding rounds - and who has benefitted to date
CONTRIBUTOR LINKS
homeless.org.uk/fund Broadway - www.broadwaylondon.org Our policy work Where to start looking for information on our policy
The Cyrenians - www.tcuk.org
campaigning and lobbying. www.homeless.org.uk/policy-roundup
St Mungo’s - www.mungos.org
In the regions
Broadway - www.broadwaylondon.org
Meet your Homeless Link regional managers. homeless.org.uk/contact-regional-manager
Real People - www.broadwaysrealpeople.com
And your NAC representatives.
David Ford - www.davidford.co
homeless.org.uk/contact-nac Lift - www.liftpeople.org.uk
WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK 44
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