Connect 50: TRAIN, EMPLOY, TRANSFORM

CHOICE TRANSFORMEDWe visit an innovative detox and rehabilitation service in Liverpool and talk to some of the people it supports.

NEW FACESWelcoming Ross Watkins and

Natalie Atkinson to the Board, and

Mike Barrett as chair of the NAC.

TRAIN EMPLOY

TRANSFORM

CONNECT MARCH 2014 | WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK

5-7 #-#

ISSN 2046-2921

EVERYTHING TO PLAY FORCan football really help change

the lives of people experiencing

homelessness?

10-12 14-15

HOMELESS LINK EVENTS

UNDER ONE ROOFThis event will draw together everything that homelessness charities need to know under one roof.

Held over two days, the event will take a complete look at

accommodation and support provision for homeless people

- and the challenge of sustaining effective provision in a

challenging environment.

The event will bring together homelessness services, industry

experts and suppliers to share innovative approaches, policy

updates, and insights into the future of homelessness.

www.homeless.org.uk/events/under-one-roof

Attending this event means you will have the opportunity to:• Build new skills through our masterclass series

• Engage in debates on a range of hard hitting

subjects that are facing the sector

• Influence future thinking on housing policy

and homelessness provision.

Book your place and customise the event to suit

your individual needs.

BOOKINGSFind out more and book your place:

020 7840 4461www.homeless.org.uk/events/under-one-roof

SHOWCASING THE EXPERTISE OF THE SECTOR

UNDER ONE ROOF8 & 9 July 2014 Hinckley Island Hotel, MidlandsANNUAL HOUSING AND SUPPORT CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION 2014

HOMELESS.ORG.UK/EVENTS | @HOMELESSLINK | 020 7840 4461

CONNECT | MARCH 2014

WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK 3

WELCOME


IN CONNECT

www.homeless.org.uk/blog

STORY TO SHARE? We’re always looking for stories about the work you do and the people you work with. Get in

touch if you have something to share with readers of CONNECT magazine and blogs - [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTIONS: to subscribe or take out additional subscriptions, please email [email protected]

EDITORS: Serena Cowdy / Martin Reed COVER IMAGE: © Joana Freitas, courtesy of the Homeless FA

4 UPFRONT Regular column from CEO RIck Henderson.

5 NAC SPOTLIGHT Introducing the new NAC chair, Mike Barrett.

6 MEET THE NEW HOMELESS LINK TRUSTEES Welcome to our new trustees, Natalie Atkinson

and Ross Watkins.

8 WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO HELP VULNERABLE PEOPLE MANAGE MONEY? Research has shown that just handling and

thinking about money can actually reduce

mental and physical stress, but being reminded

of our recent spending can increase levels of

both mental and physical distress.

10 TRANSFORMING CHOICE We visited an innovative detox and

rehabilitation service in Liverpool, following its

work with some of the city’s most marginalised,

alcohol dependent citizens.

13 SUPPORTING ADULTS INTO LEARNING & WORK The Really Useful Book of Learning and Earning

is a free resource for adults using homelessness

services.

14 EVERYTHING TO PLAY FOR Homeless FA uses football to give people the

opportunity to develop their skills and abilities,

gain self-respect and confidence, improve their

health, and ultimately transform their life.

16 WHAT OUR MEMBERS SAY The results of our 2014 Members Survey.

18 EAST EUROPEAN PEER NAVIGATOR PROJECT Lift teams up with the East European Advice

Centre (EEAC) to develop a project for East

European migrants in London.

20 PASSIONATE ABOUT FOOD, PASSIONATE ABOUT PEOPLE The Feed, a social enterprise project from

Norwich LEAP, will provide outside catering to

businesses and local charities, a festival pop-

up and a café in the local community.

22 A TWO WAY STREET? For service users who are ready, a work

placement can be life-transforming. Lindsay

Stronge looks at projects that have really

made this work.

24 PAY IT FORWARD Find out more about our Pay it Forward

campaign - what’s happening, who we’re

working with and how we’ve been able to

support them.

26 A GUIDE TO LOCAL INFLUENCING When it comes to campaigning on

homelessness, local influencing activity can

make all the difference.

27 MAKING SOCIAL IMPACT MEASUREMENT WORK The rise of ‘payment by results’ and social

investment in the third sector could push

core beneficiaries to the margins of the

impact measurement process. However,

homelessness organisations have a solution.

33 WORKING TOGETHER: DWP NETWORKING EVENT It has become an increasing challenge for

homelessness organisations and their clients

to navigate through benefits systems.

34 MANAGING PEOPLE Regular column from Helen Giles of

Broadway’s Real People.

UPFRONT CONNECT | MARCH 2014

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UPFRONT

Welcome to this edition of Connect magazine - in which we focus on the training and employment issues facing people with experience of homelessness.

I have worked pretty much every day since I left school

at 16. Luckily, I’ve enjoyed most of the jobs I had, and

my career has certainly been varied. I’ve been a

hairdresser, a postman, a painter and decorator and a

nursing assistant!

My main motivation was to work my way out of poverty

- but at least that was a possibility for me. I worry that

today’s young people face an employment market that

has fewer opportunities and frequent obstacles. So how

can we, as a sector, support our service users to thrive

and grow in the current climate?

Clearly it’s crucial to get things right at bedrock level.

Clients who struggle with basic literacy and numeracy

will always be amongst the most vulnerable people in

our society, and will find it particularly difficult to engage

with initiatives like the Work Programme.

We’re pleased to have numeracy and learning specialist

Beth Kelly as a contributor, and her article on financial

capability highlights some easy-to-use tools that should

make it easier for service users to manage their money.

Work-related training is also key - and we highlight some

fantastic training initiatives run by organisations within

the homelessness sector. For example, you can find

out about The Feed, a new project from Norwich LEAP

that provides training for former clients who are keen to

work in the catering industry. And Everything to Play For

is focused how the Homeless Football Association uses

sport to develop employment skills.

Finally, we highlight some private sector companies

who really are doing their bit. In A Two Way Street?, we

investigate how a range of businesses, large and small,

have developed valuable work placement schemes for

people who have experienced homelessness.

I am also pleased to introduce readers to Homeless

Link’s two new ‘expert by experience’ Trustees, Natalie

Atkinson and Ross Watkins, who joined the Board in

November 2013 and who bring a wealth of knowledge

to the organisation. We are also saying a big hello to

Mike Barrett, the new Chair of our National Advisory

Council (and a fond farewell to both Jon Cox and David

Ford, previous Chairs of our Advisory Panels).

Other features in this issue include an analysis of the

latest membership survey results - what you told us about

what you want from Homeless Link.

Please read, share and get in touch with your news,

views and comments. Have a great spring!

Rick Henderson - Chief Executive, Homeless Link

NACCONNECT | MARCH 2014


NAC SPOTLIGHTThe National Advisory Council is proud to welcome a new Chair - Mike Barrett. As Chief Executive of Porchlight, and having worked in the homelessness sector for over 23 years, Mike brings a huge amount of experience to the position. Here, we wanted to give him the chance to introduce himself! Visit homeless.org.uk/nac

MY BACKGROUNDI’ve been working in the homeless

sector for over 23 years. Before that

I worked in the probation service in

London, and I also spent time with

two London local authorities, working

in both estates management and

homeless persons units.

WHAT MOTIVATES MEI suppose the main driving force for me is the

continuing and growing divide in relation to lack of

opportunity and fair access to good quality, secure

housing in our communities that leads so many people

into homelessness.

I’m also driven to try to change things when I see the

fear and pain of those suffering at the hands of a

society that seems to care more about wealth and

celebrity than about people suffering the indignity of

being poor - or of coming from families no longer able

to support themselves.

This all started when I was about ten years old - when I

saw the first airing of television play Cathy Come Home.

I remember looking over at my parents, seeing tears in

their eyes and realising that homelessness and poverty

were major problems.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT?I feel that the homeless sector is an environment

where equality and innovation in the midst of chaos

still holds true. We are, I feel, on a par with any group

of entrepreneurs because we are constantly facing

challenges that require imagination, skill and courage

to overcome.

However, I feel we as a sector need to be willing to

cooperate and collaborate on many more issues. In

light of the funding environment, we also need honesty

in debates about duplication and costs. By working

more closely together we can achieve great things; but

if our organisations fiercely hold on to independence

and territory, we will divided by both policy and

decision makers.

IN MY NEW ROLE WITH THE NAC…I’m really looking forward to working with a

knowledgeable and committed team of people on the

NAC and at Homeless Link. I feel we can help influence

the debate and constructively challenge decisions that

endanger our service users and the services set up to

help them.

I also want to build on the fantastic work that Jon Cox

was responsible for and hopefully chair meetings with

as much skill as Jon. I aim to bring experience of both

front line work and as a senior manager in the sector.

Most importantly, I want to help create a formidable

team of people who can focus on the job at hand and

really help Homeless Link’s board deal with the massive

challenges ahead.

WHAT ARE THOSE CHALLENGES?They are many and varied. The dismantling of the

‘supporting people’ framework - and indeed of local

authorities themselves - are among them. There is also

a threat from ideologically driven policies that have at

their heart sensible ideas, but are in reality making many

vulnerable people’s lives a total misery.

One example of this is the application of sanctions

to Housing Benefit, which will have major negative

implications for people who have moved through

supported housing into the private rented sector.

I believe this change will increase the number of

‘revolving door’ cases, and further add to the strain on

dwindling services.

Finally, one of the major challenges facing our sector

is how to understand, be part of and influence the

interface between health, housing and social care.

Mike Barrett, Porchlight - NAC Chair



FEATURES

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PEOPLE

NATALIE ATKINSON

Natalie Atkinson and Ross Watkins became Homeless Link trustees last November, bringing personal experience of homelessness to our Board for the first time. We talked to them about life, their passion for their work and how they’d like to see the homelessness sector change for the better.

WHAT WAS YOUR OWN EXPERIENCE OF HOMELESSNESS - AND HOW HAVE YOU GOT FROM THERE TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?After leaving residential care

on my sixteenth birthday I

experienced homelessness,

sofa surfing and staying

wherever I could. I was living

a chaotic lifestyle, so I would constantly be moving

accommodation (from flats and bed and breakfast

accommodation to friends’ houses and shared

properties) or being evicted. I was never suitable for

supported housing schemes due to my offending history,

and I always felt that I was never given a chance to

‘prove myself’ and be accommodated in this way.

I’m currently living in private student accommodation,

as I’m in my last year of university. The consistent support

I’ve received from important people in my life has been

a big factor in me getting to where I am now. Those

people include my youth offending team worker and

various third sector support workers - as well as my

friends. I also believe I’ve progressed because I was so

determined to succeed, and to be in a position to help

others in similar situations.

WHAT REALLY DRIVES YOU TO WORK IN THE HOMELESSNESS SECTOR?Having experienced homelessness and an unsettled

way of life first-hand, I feel I’m able to understand and

relate to individuals who are in the position I was once

in. I enjoy working in the supported housing and feel

passionate about offering help, guidance and advice.

I hope I’m in a position to empower individuals to go on

and live an independent and happy life. Quite simply,

I believe that everyone deserves to have somewhere

warm and dry to live; a place that they can call home.

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE HOMELESSNESS SECTOR CURRENTLY DOES WELL?I feel that the homelessness sector is proactive even in

current conditions, when funding is being cut, benefit

changes are occurring and a lot of uncertainty exists.

Recent campaigns to end rough sleeping, and multi-

agency work with those with multiple and complex

needs, are both real positives.

IN YOUR VIEW, WHAT’S THE GREATEST CHALLENGE FACING HOMELESSNESS SERVICES TODAY?The current economic climate is extremely testing for the

homelessness sector: Funding cuts are being made, and

services are being reduced as a result.

The introduction of the ‘bedroom tax’ has had a

negative effect on many individuals who are claiming

housing benefits. It’s also having a knock-on effect on

individuals in supported accommodation who are trying

to move to independent living, as there a very few one

bedroom properties.

Universal Credit will also pose a new challenge when it

is rolled out, as I believe more people will struggle with

budgeting and paying accommodation costs.

FINALLY, WHAT DO YOU THINK WOULD MOST IMPROVE THE HOMELESSNESS SECTOR?I would make supported housing more accessible for

people with criminal backgrounds, rent arrears and

histories of living chaotic lifestyles. I would also get rid of

the ‘bedroom tax’!

Look out for Natalie in BBC3’s upcoming Crime &

Punishment season. In ‘Banged Up And Left To Fail?’

- due to be broadcast on Monday 7 April - Natalie

examines the impact prison has on young adult

offenders, and the balance between punishment and

rehabilitation.

MEET THE NEW HOMELESS LINK TRUSTEES

nat89atk


WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK 7WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK 7WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK 7

PEOPLE

CAN YOU TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND?I had a fairly normal childhood,

but in my teens my life became

chaotic, culminating in me

serving a prison term in my

late teens. I worked in the

construction industry as a

bricklayer and over time started

a small building business.

There was never much stability in my life and I was

under huge amounts of pressure, balancing the books,

paying people. I ended up going through, what I now

know to be, a mental breakdown and I walked out on

everything. My home, my business. I went to live on the

streets with nothing but a bag of clothes. I was free of

those pressures and bizarrely I enjoyed sleeping rough,

but that wasn’t going to last. I got myself a cheap set of

tools and started working on building sites, but that was

impossible to sustain while sleeping rough. It was an Off

the Streets and Into Work building project up in Cumbria

that enabled me to move on.

Later, when I was working as a bricklayer in Cambridge,

I started volunteering at Jimmy’s Nightshelter, and

went full time in outreach with them soon after. I

absolutely loved it. It was that whole thing of wanting

to do something more. I was going out, finding

people, helping them into the best and most suitable

accommodation that I could. Today, I’m a Deputy

Community Leader at Emmaus in Lambeth.

HOW IMPORTANT IS YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IN YOUR WORK?One conversation has stuck with me since I came off the

streets. It was with my outreach worker. His options for

me were basically to beg or work on the black market.

Looking back maybe this was half tongue in cheek, but

at the time it was probably one of the lowest moments

in my life. I wanted to change, I wanted to move on, but

the one person who should have been able to help me

couldn’t do anything. I understand a lot of what people

sleeping rough are going through. I know how important

it is to be able to ask someone for support and for them

to give you an honest, realistic response. It’s the only

way to help someone get what they want. People have

to make their own decisions, and you need to be able

to give them the information to allow them to do that.

You have to be there to support them, whether their

decisions are right or wrong. They need to know that if

they screw up, that you’re still there to support them, that

you aren’t going to stand behind them and mock them.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE WAY THE SECTOR HAS CHANGED OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS?When the original Comprehensive Spending Review

came out, I think the sector was devastated. So many

good workers were lost – so much local experience that

you just can’t replace. While services were restructured,

I think a lot of service users bore the brunt of it. Many lost

the professionals they’d built up relationships with and

they had to start over, building trust with new workers.

But many services - outreach teams in particular - have

done really well to keep changing and to manage with

the budgets that they’ve got.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACHIEVE AS A HOMELESS LINK TRUSTEE?With all the changes that have gone on in frontline

homelessness services, so much of the good stuff has

come as a result of service user input. I think the views of

service users are absolutely integral to all future changes

to the homelessness sector. Homeless Link is one of the

major players in saying what changes need to happen.

Service users need to lead that. I want to go out, talk to

people, find out what they want, find out what’s working

and what isn’t.

HOW WOULD YOU TRANSFORM THE HOMELESSNESS SECTOR FOR THE BETTER?I would reintroduce mental health services with decent

budgets. Mental health is one of the primary reasons

people continue with drug and alcohol use. We need to

create a system where people are properly supported

and not chucked onto the streets on drugs. It’s vital that

we start to rebuild those services.

MEET THE NEW HOMELESS LINK TRUSTEESROSS WATKINS rosswat1



FEATURES


Most of us find dealing with money at best a chore and at worst positively scary. Feelings about money are often mixed. Research has shown that just handling and thinking about money can actually reduce mental and physical stress and make us feel more confident about ourselves. However, being reminded of our recent spending can increase levels of both mental and physical distress.

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO HELP VULNERABLE PEOPLE MANAGE MONEY?

FEELINGS ABOUT MONEYThe BBC Lab UK's Big Money Test in 2013 showed that

there is far more to managing your money than financial

know-how. It concluded that while financial knowledge

is important, our emotions play a big part in how well

we manage our money. Money is linked to how we feel

about power, security, love and freedom; and the test

identified impulse buying as being a real challenge to

financial security. Financial skills also involve a certain

level of maths ability, and this can just add to feelings

of uncertainty about teaching this subject - never mind

learning about it! This is undoubtedly why many people

steer clear of working in this area.

THE BEST TIME TO ENGAGE PEOPLE IN DEVELOPING THEIR FINANCIAL SKILLSSo, we know that many support workers, teachers and

trainers - as well as the participants on financial literacy

programmes - have mixed feelings about money and

finances. Indeed, many of us do not want to think about

money until something significant happens in our lives.

Shaun Mundy, Senior Vice President of the Financial

Literacy Group, researched the topic and found that

people are most interested in developing financial

capability skills only when something changes in their

lives. For example: When starting or losing a job, starting

a course at college, dealing with a debt or becoming a

parent.

These can be described as ‘significant moments’. One

such significant moment in many peoples’ lives is the

proposed introduction of Universal Credit. Eventually,

this will change the way benefits are paid, presenting at

least two challenges: First, people will be paid monthly

instead of weekly; and second, they will be paid through

a bank account rather than in cash through the Post

Office. In response to this significant moment, The

Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) has worked with Homeless

Link and the National Institute of Adult Continuing

Education (NIACE) to develop a Talking about Money

tool. As the name suggests, this tool is designed to

encourage advisers and their clients to start talking more

openly about money. It asks a series of questions and

invites the client to rate their own levels of confidence

and competence. This enables clients to address these

challenges and empowers them to make more informed

choices and decisions in relation to their circumstances.

HOW CAN WE HELP ADULTS WITH SERIOUS NUMERACY ISSUES TO MANAGE MONEY? There is obviously no quick fix for this, but at Learning

Unlimited we have developed a range of online

resources that clients and support workers can use with

their clients. The online activities, games and videos are

aimed at people who may not have strong numeracy

skills, but who want to develop their financial skills.

The resources at www.learningmathsonline.ac.uk

support adults to develop calculating skills around

‘money coming in’ and ‘money going out’. One

example is showing people how to budget over the

course of a month, rather than for just a week or two.

The activity requires people to plan for a month by

allocating money to four ‘pots’: Rent, bills, groceries and

travel. There is also a 'rainy day' pot for what is left over.

There are hints and tips, such as how to plan expenditure

for a month over five weeks, rather than four (to make

sure you do not run out of money - as most months

have more than four weeks in them!). There is also a

BY BETH KELLY

FEATURES CONNECT | MARCH 2014

check function that allows for variable amounts to be

put into the 'groceries/travel' and 'rainy day' pots, but

always requires the rent to be paid. To add a sense

of authenticity to this activity, we filmed 'vox pops' of

people from Homeless link and the CAB giving tips on

budgeting. The ‘Everyday Maths’ section of the site also

has lots of exercises about keeping appointments and

working out time - as well as looking at food labels. The

resources do not solve all financial problems, but do give

people opportunities to practise some skills in relation to

employment and benefits.

NEW INITIATIVES IN THIS SECTORAs part of a new initiative funded by The Insolvency

Service (BIS), we are supporting organisations working

with vulnerable people to develop some financial

literacy programmes linked to the new unit qualifications.

However, some of the project’s early findings indicate

that, unsurprisingly, it is not easy to develop new

programmes with centres already running on limited

resources. Many simply don’t have staff with the requisite

skills to support financial capability. In addition to this,

Universal Credit - a main motivator for initiating this pilot -

has had its timetable for introduction changed, creating

uncertainty around the need for skills development.

Despite these challenges, it is worth making the effort.

The recent Quids In study (undertaken by the CAB

and Santander) highlighted a change in behaviour

and positive impact on people in social housing who

experienced some financial skills training.

At this Universal Credit ‘significant moment’, there is

considerable interest in developing people’s financial

skills - and there are some very good tools out there to

help with the learning needed. However, there will need

to be enough investment to upskill the people involved,

in order to make sure we provide the claimants and

support workers with the skills they require to successfully

access the new benefits.


LEARNING MATHS ONLINEVisit the Maths4Us website to find out more about the resources available.

www.learningmathsonline.ac.uk/wp

CONNECT | MARCH 2014FEATURES

TRANSFORMING CHOICEWe visited this innovative detox and rehabilitation service in Liverpool, following its work with some of the city’s most excluded, alcohol dependent people.

“They had to carry me up the steps when I got here, I

was that sick. But this place has changed everything for

me. Everything. It’s like a family that can turn your life

around. I’ve got hope. I’ve got dignity. I’ve got a place

to go live in when I come out of here. There’s no other

place has given me a chance like that.”

The speaker is Tommy. He’s sitting on a large leather sofa

in the lounge area of the old Solna Hotel in Liverpool,

now repurposed as Transforming Choice, a new breed

of rehabilitation service for some of the city’s most

excluded people. Tommy’s words are echoed by many

of the other residents in the room. The words ‘family’

and ‘dignity’ are repeated by many. There are nods

of agreement whenever someone mentions how the

service has helped them achieve what others could not.

THE APPROACHTransforming Choice launched last July to fill a hole

in alcohol and homelessness provision in the city. The

people it works with are long term physically dependent

on alcohol, usually homeless with little or no community

support, and most have attempted detoxes elsewhere.

Unlike many other services in the area, it focuses on

more than just the addiction. During an intensive 12

week residential, residents start with two weeks of

alcohol withdrawal detox. This is followed by a further

two weeks of self-care and service engagement, which

focuses on personal health through appointments with

GPs, dentists and opticians.

Individuals write their own recovery plan and, over

the 12 weeks, they have access to peer support,

a counsellor and an in house psychologist. They’re

supported to start courses and to rebuild lost ties with

family. Suitable accommodation is secured for them

prior to their departure – with crucial overnight stays

in their new homes scheduled during the final weeks.

This is all backed up by six months of aftercare support.


The service is brought together in a coordinated mix of

professional and clinical support, peer mentoring and

‘unconditional positive regard’.

Last July, the service opened its doors to the first

residents. Seven graduated in September at an event

attended by Liverpool’s Mayor. Five have maintained

their own accommodation. The second cohort will

graduate from the programme at the end of March.

THE PEOPLESome of the residents take time to tell me in person

about the impact their stay in the old hotel has had to

date. John tells me: “When they said they were going to

help me, well I just thought I’d heard all that shit before.

People promise things. You get that over and over. It’s

been tough and I’ve tried to walk out of here about

six times, but they’ve always talked me down. And I’m

glad they have, because I’m getting my self-respect

back, they’ve sorted me a place to go live in. And I

really want to come back and do my peer training, give

other people some of the help I’ve had here myself. It’s

marvellous, it really is. This place is the best thing that’s

ever happened to me.”

Carl says: “I’ve been on a lot of detoxes and residentials,

and it’s all great while you’re on them, when you’re

in that bubble, but then you come out and you’re still

homeless, you’re back on the street, and whatever good

could have come of them is lost. It’s the opposite here.

You don’t leave until you have somewhere to go.”

OUTCOMES THAT MATTERI ask Carol Hamlett, director of Transforming Choice,

about the challenges in working with this group of

people. “It’s important to remember that most of the

people we work with have been using substances for

decades – some consuming in excess of 700 units a

week,” she tells me. “To be an authentic service, we

have to be realistic and not frightened of working with

WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARTIN REED

CONNECT | MARCH 2014 FEATURES

Nine months ago Mark was sleeping rough in Sefton Park, just a few hundred metres from where he now works as a peer mentor.

people who really are very ill.” She stresses the high risk

tolerance of the service and willingness to work with

people who have often been risk assessed out of other

services because of fear of not reaching outcomes.

Of the 12 people who started in the current group,

one had a serious relapse and had to leave, another

suffered a heart attack while visiting his partner and,

tragically, a third died at the beginning of March.

But Carol doesn’t accept that success with this group of

people can be measured by numbers based outcomes

alone. “Yes, we did lose someone but the outcome

was that this individual spent his last 8 weeks safe,

comfortable, physically and emotionally nourished, and

he smiled a lot. That for us is a brilliant outcome.”

While three people won’t graduate at the end of March,

Carol is confident that the remaining nine will. Just three

months after entering the service, nine of the most

marginalised people in Liverpool’s homelessness system

will move into long term accommodation, with ongoing

support from Transforming Choice as they start to move

on with their lives.

MEET MARKSome of the peer support for the current group is

provided by Mark who, until July last year, was sleeping




FEATURES


rough and drinking in Sefton Park, just a few hundred

metres from the hotel. Today, he’s settled in a two

bedroom flat, he’s earned qualifications that will help

him support others in his position, he’s about to take up

beekeeping, and a few days ago he was offered a job

with Open University.

He takes me on a tour of the park, and explains how he

first found out about Transforming Choice: “I was sat just

over there, on a bench with all the drinkers – and Donna,

one of the managers here, made a beeline for me

and said you’re on my list.” He describes the two week

detox as “a killer” but explains how he quickly found a

new perspective on life: “It was like an adrenaline rush,

still thinking about the drink, but not wanting it and not

needing it – and I’d just get involved in everything. This

place, it’s changed my life. Even the doctors told me,

another week out there and I’d have been dead.”

As for what works at Transforming Choice but not

elsewhere, Mark believes it’s a combination of things.

“It’s the way you’re reduced off alcohol, it’s the support

you get throughout, it’s the friendliness. It’s more like a

family than a service. It’s the fact you’re surrounded by

people who know exactly what you’re going through.”

WHO FUNDS TRANSFORMATION?In spite of its early successes, Carol has encountered a

reluctance from commissioners to commit long term to

the service. There is no guarantee of funding for a third

group of residents to benefit from its support.

Perhaps the £9,696 price tag for each person’s 12 week

stay plus 6 months aftercare is a tough figure to justify for

innovation in today’s climate. But given that the target

client group is made up of frequent fliers with expensive

and reactive services – hospitals, police, prison and

more – it’s a prime example of how to do nothing can

prove more expensive.

“I want to give other people some of the help I’ve had here myself” - John

Take Lizzy, for example, the only female among the

current residents. She came to Transforming Choice

straight after five weeks of palliative care in hospital,

where medical staff were convinced she was unlikely

to recover. Her five week stay in hospital will have cost

considerably more than the support she’s now getting

from Carol and the team.

IN REFLECTIONBefore I leave, Carol takes me round the old hotel, keen

to impress on me the importance of the environment. It

feels markedly different to most other services. It’s open

and calm; there’s a sense of trust throughout, with no

security glass protected reception desk to greet you

as you enter. There’s poignancy in the emptied bars in

public rooms throughout the building.

Carol knocks on a few doors to see if anyone is around

to show me their bedroom. The first to answer is Tommy,

who spoke earlier in the lounge. “What do you think?”

he asks as he opens the door. He’s trying on a new suit,

craning forward into the wardrobe mirror to straighten his

tie. “Does it go?” he asks. “It’s for my graduation.”

In this moment, less than two months after Tommy was

carried up the steps of the hotel, there’s no hint of his

former life. This isn’t Tommy the street drinker, Tommy

the rough sleeper. For a moment, he could be any

man in any hotel, suiting up for a business meeting or

a wedding. What strikes me is his confidence in how

much has changed for him in only a few weeks, and his

positivity about what that means for the future.

TRANSFORMING CHOICEFind out more about the service on their website:

transformingchoice.org.uk

THE REALLY USEFUL BOOK OF LEARNING AND EARNINGDownload a PDF version here:

http://shop.niace.org.uk/ ruble-homelessness.html

SUPPORTING ADULTS INTO LEARNING & WORKThe Really Useful Book of Learning and Earning (RUBLE) - available from March - is a free resource for adults using homelessness services to help them think about their learning and development, plan ahead and develop strategies for achieving their goals.

The book was written

by the National Institute

of Adult Continuing

Education (NIACE) with

support from Homeless

Link and funding from

the Department for

Business Innovation

& Skills. The RUBLE

format has already

proved popular and

effective with people

experiencing mental

health difficulties and

young adult carers.

The book contains information, advice and activities

to support people to take positive steps forward in their

lives. It includes:

• Activities to encourage people to think positively and

to reflect on the skills they have and the skills they

would like to develop

• Information about different types of learning and the

benefits of learning, with examples of the positive

difference that learning has made to people who

have been homeless

• Hints and tips about applying for jobs, creating a CV,

and going to interviews

• Details about self-employment and volunteering, and

links to further information and sources of support

• Advice and support on action planning and setting

short, medium and long-term goals

• Diary pages to help people stay organised and in

control

• Ideas to encourage positive health and well-being,

and to support people to manage their money

• Links to useful websites and helplines.

Copies of the A5 spiral-bound book are being sent

to a number of Homeless Link member organisations,

and participants at the Learning for Everyone national

conference on 20th March will each receive a copy. A

PDF version will also be available to download at http://

shop.niace.org/ruble-homelessness.html

There are lots of ways you can help clients to get the

most out of the RUBLE. Here are just a few examples - you

could:

• Use the activities as a basis for discussion with clients

• Offer ideas on what they might write - for example,

about the skills they already have

• Provide information to clients on local learning and

volunteering opportunities, or encourage them to

carry out their own research

• Help clients to set realistic goals and check on their

progress towards these goals

• Support clients to identify any potential barriers to

their goals and explore how they may overcome

them

• Access the websites of other organisations for

additional information.

We really hope you will find the RUBLE useful in your

work with clients. Please send us your feedback, and

encourage your clients to tell us what they think of it too.

Email: [email protected]





FEATURES


EVERYTHING TO PLAY FORThe Homeless Football Association (FA) believes that people experiencing homelessness have the potential to change their lives positively, and that football can facilitate this transformation. We use football to give people the opportunity to develop their skills and abilities, gain self-respect and confidence, improve their health, and ultimately transform their life.

The transformation often begins with confidence. Since

being established in 2012, the Homeless FA has seen over

250 qualifications achieved. More importantly to our

players, and to us, 100% of participants have reported

increased confidence levels. Rosie acknowledges that

she had no confidence in herself when she joined our

2012 Training Centre programme. She was ashamed of

her self-harm scars and, despite the hot weather, wore

a long-sleeved top under her training kit. Rosie reflects:

“So much of my life has been a challenge and if I was

honest it’s been difficult to remain positive. The Arsenal

Training Centre really helped me. It was clear from the

start that the Homeless FA and everyone that works for

them didn’t judge me, but genuinely believed in me,

and this made me feel worthwhile for the first time in a

long time and much, much more confident. The Training

Centre was a reason to get up and leave the hostel and

it gave me something that nothing else ever has, belief

in myself. It just made me happy.”

Our Training Centres are five-day programmes of activity

delivered in partnership with professional football clubs.

In 2014, they will involve up to 300 players nationally.

We want the Training Centre to be a positive learning

experience in an aspirational environment. In Rosie’s

case her increasing confidence was apparent. By week

four she was wearing short sleeves to the training session.

By week five she was leading training sessions. Five

weeks seems like a short period of time, but we see it as

a catalyst. It accelerates the momentum being built by

the services that support our players on a daily basis.

Players completing the Training Centre can achieve their

Level 1 Sports Leaders Award. The sense of achievement

and satisfaction felt by players earning this award is key

to providing a positive experience of what learning can

be. The Sports Leaders Award is a great way to develop a person’s confidence in themselves and also in a group. As one of our players in 2013, Stacey, comments, “The football side of things is really fun but it was more important to interact with people in a positive way.”

Creating a positive experience, especially in the classroom, is critical to encouraging players to continue into further education and training. We gather feedback through surveys and interviews - and one survey response was: “The Training Centre gave me a sense of belonging - I looked forward to seeing everyone every week. When it finished I wanted that feeling again so I signed up to an IT course! Now I’m learning to design web pages.”

A love of football can help so many individuals into different pathways by identifying different talents and passions. Some 63% of players went on to do further courses and qualifications after the Training Centre.

While the football clubs’ members of staff do a brilliant job of encouraging and supporting players, the most inspiring encouragement comes from volunteers like

A former player and volunteer with the Homeless FA, Rosie is the Peer Mentor Coordinator for 2014 and will help train and support 25 volunteers nationally. | Photograph © Lars Wehmann, courtesy of the Homeless FA

BY LINDSEY HORSFIELD HEAD OF RESEARCH, THE HOMELESS FA



FEATURES


Rosie who have been players themselves. At the Arsenal

Training Centre in 2013, Rosie provided support to the 30

players as a Peer Mentor. She was subsequently given

the role of Team England Peer Mentor at the Homeless

World Cup in Poznań, Poland.

Alongside Rosie, all of the Team England coaching staff

had experience of homelessness and had taken part in

Homeless FA programmes. Players who had volunteered

at the Training Centres were also able to be part of

the staff teams at international activities. We try to be

as flexible as possible, but with three-quarters of our

volunteers gaining full-time employment in 2013, they

sometimes missed out on activities with us.

Some found this transition more challenging than others.

Billy, a player in 2012 and volunteer in 2013, secured a

part-time contract and moved into a permanent contract

partway through the Training Centre programme.

Although pleased to be working, he found he had to

adapt his expectations. He explains: “I’ve always loved

football. That’s what I thought my career would be in.

It still can be, but for now I need to go to work and pay

rent. I’ve got my own place and I’m getting stuff sorted

out. I just wish I could do more stuff with you [Homeless

FA]. Sometimes I struggle a bit with work because, doing

maintenance, it’s not what I am passionate about.”

Sometimes a football programme can lead someone to

a career - even if it isn’t in football. Having seen Rosie’s

abilities and the valuable role she held in supporting the

players in 2013, she was appointed the Homeless FA’s

Peer Mentor Coordinator. She now oversees the Peer

Mentoring programme and in 2014 will be managing

25 volunteers and ensuring they are all suitably trained

and supported. “This whole experience has been life-

changing” Rosie says. “I could never have imagined 18 months ago that today I would be not only in a job I enjoy but training for a career.”

Many of the players applying to the Homeless FA Training Centres do so for the football. By providing learning and volunteering opportunities, we hope to help them recognise other passions and skills that they may have. As James, who played in the 2011 Homeless World Cup and has been a volunteer for two years with the Homeless FA, explains, “It isn’t winning a trophy. The expectations of the players should really be to gain as much as they can and come back a stronger you, a stronger person. Come back and tackle the obstacles that stand in your way in general life.”

Homeless FA Training Centres take place nationally, in partnership with ten professional football clubs, including Sunderland AFC. | Photograph © Joana

Freitas, courtesy of the Homeless FA

A former player, James is the Homeless FA’s Head Coach and studying sport sciences at university. | Photograph © Lars Wehmann, courtesy of the Homeless FA

FIND OUT MOREThe Homeless FA Community is open to any project or organisation that wants to use football as a means of improving the lives of people experiencing homelessness in England.

[email protected]

CONNECT | MARCH 2014FEATURES

TOP 10 ISSUES


YOUR PRIORITIES

FOR 2014EACH YEAR WE ASK YOU ABOUT

YOUR KEY CONCERNS AND MAKE SURE WE’RE PROVIDING

THE BEST SERVICE POSSIBLE. WHAT YOU TOLD US WILL HELP

SHAPE OUR WORK IN THE YEAR TO COME.

IMPROVING CLIENTS’ PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH

87%

PREVENTING HOMELESSNESS (e.g. better housing options and advice)

86%

INCREASING THE SUPPLY AND QUALITY OF ACCOMMOD-ATION (e.g. move on accommod-ation)

79%

MANAGING THE IMPACT OF WELFARE REFORM (e.g. introduction of Universal Credit)

77%



4/10RATED ‘INFORMATION,

RESEARCH AND TRAINING’ AS THE

MEMBER BENEFIT YOU MOST VALUE

BEST BENEFIT

8/10SAID YOU

WERE SATISFIED OR VERY SATISFIED WITH

MEMBERSHIP

SATISFACTION

7/10SAID YOUR

MEMBERSHIP REPRESENTED VALUE

FOR MONEY

VALUE FOR MONEY

9/10SAID WE

REPRESENT THE SECTOR WELL

REPRESENTATION

9/10SAID YOU WOULD

RECOMMEND US

RECOMMENDATION

HOW ARE WE DOING?

BETTER EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT AND TRAINING FOR CLIENTS

70%

DEVELOPING STAFF SKILLS

70%

ADOPTING NEW APPROACHES TO TACKLE HOMELESSNESS (e.g. Housing First)

75%

SERVICE FUNDING (e.g. mitigating cuts or securing new sources)

72%

REDUCING CLIENT RE-OFFENDING

62%

GIVING CLIENTS MORE CHOICE AND CONTROL OVER CARE (e.g. personalisation)

60%So

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FEATURES


However, the kind of service that was needed was only

beginning to become apparent. Rough sleepers from

East European migrant communities just didn’t have the

same profile as other rough sleepers in the UK.

Lorraine Richardson is Day Services Manager at The

Passage, which provides shelter and support services

to homeless people and holds specialist sessions for

new arrivals from Bulgaria and Romania (A2 countries).

Lorraine recalled seeing a spike in service users from

East European backgrounds, and the realisation she

had when many of them explained why they’d become

homeless. She explains: “We couldn’t help them. We’re

set up for people who have support needs, but the East

Europeans who were rough sleeping for the most part

don’t have those support needs.”

Indeed, the 2012 study on Multiple Exclusion

Homelessness in the UK shattered many beliefs about why

migrants in Britain become homeless. Unlike UK nationals,

most homeless migrants don’t have a history of exclusion

and support needs, but become homeless for the first

time as a result of a ‘trigger’ event (for example, the loss

of employment or a relationship breakdown).

“We thought that by teaming our user engagement

expertise with EEAC’s links to East European migrant

communities, we could create a really effective new

service,” said Atara Fridler, Lift’s Chief Executive.

The result is the East European Peer Navigator Project.

Development work on the initiative began in late 2013,

and the first volunteer peer navigators will be ready to

begin their placements this spring. The project trains East

European migrants to become peer navigators who can

help other East European migrants who are homeless

or at risk of homelessness. By placing peer navigators

in mainstream homelessness services, the project is

aimed at breaking through the obstacles East European

migrants face when they run into difficulties.

Five organisations in west London are teaming up

together to deliver the project. In addition to the

main partners Lift and EEAC, participants include The

Passage, Thames Reach (which runs an outreach

service), The Upper Room (a charity working with

homeless people, economic migrants and ex-offenders)

and West London Churches Homeless Concern (WLCHC)

which runs night shelters.

The project is funded by the Homelessness Transition

Fund (HTF). Samantha Rennie, Director of the HTF, said:

“The Fund was set up to support innovative approaches

to tackling rough sleeping, and this project fits the bill.

In the current climate, services need to think creatively

to meet increasing need, and there is strong evidence

that partnership working is the most effective way

of delivering critical services. Lift has proactively

developed these partnerships based on the specific

expertise each agency can bring to work with a

vulnerable and often misunderstood client group.”

The East European Peer Navigator Project is in the

process of recruiting its first ten peer navigators, some

of whom have experience of homelessness, and all

of whom have experience of arriving in London as

EAST EUROPEAN PEER NAVIGATOR PROJECTWhen the homelessness charity Lift teamed up with the East European Advice Centre (EEAC) to develop a project for East European migrants in London, it wasn’t difficult to see the need they wanted to address: Some 31% of rough sleepers in London were migrants from Eastern Europe.

BY LINDA MANNHEIM



FEATURES


migrants from Eastern Europe. One of the people who

recently applied to become a peer navigator is Biljana

Kotevska-Kokir, who came to London as a student from

East Europe fifteen years ago and who now works in

human resources. Biljana had observed an increase

in East European rough sleepers near her home in

Hammersmith shortly before she came across a notice in

The Guardian recruiting peer navigators for the project.

“There aren’t enough agencies [who can] help people

when they get into trouble,” she observes. “Homeless

East Europeans don’t even know where to look.”

Barbara Drozdowicz, EEAC’s Development Manager,

is aware that many East Europeans don’t know where

to look for help. The majority of the 1,850 migrants

who approached EEAC for help in 2012 were unable

to approach mainstream services without support. A

peer-led consultation with EEAC’s service users - held

the following year - confirmed that service users needed

support to access mainstream services and would prefer

to do this through a peer navigator service.

The one year pilot will train and support 40 people

from East European migrant communities to become

peer navigators; and is aimed at benefiting more than

500 migrants from Poland, Lithuania, and other East

European countries living in London.

Atara Fridler hopes that the project will be helpful for

a large number of homelessness agencies who will be

able to draw on a resource they have never had access

to before - a central pool of peer navigators who can

support service users on an as-needed basis. Winter

shelters, main daytime hubs within the project’s area of

operation, and rough sleeping outreach teams will be

able to help at-risk and newly homeless clients by linking

them with peer navigators. Service users will get help

negotiating a potentially stressful process. And agencies

and mainstream services will not have to develop and

support individual resources.

Many of the project partners believe it has the potential to

identify and address some of the reasons East European

migrants can be at high risk of homelessness. EEAC has an

employment rights project to help East European migrants

counter exploitation by employers, while Lift’s employment

and housing services have a strong focus on helping

people in the local area secure good quality private

rented sector housing and paid employment.

The more obvious barriers to steady employment faced

by many East European migrants - difficulty with language

and understanding UK systems - are challenges that

peer navigators can help them through. They can also

help them past other obstacles that prevent people from

earning enough to maintain a tenancy. “People don’t

tend to look outside their immediate circles for work,”

observes Barbara Drozdowicz. “The more entrenched they

become in an isolated community, the harder it is to find

something. It can be difficult to break this cycle.”

In recent years there has been a strong focus on the

reconnection services available to homeless migrants.

While this may be an option for some, many migrants

have lived and worked in the UK for a relatively long time,

just barely getting by until a crisis causes them to become

homeless. Migrants included in the 2012 Multiple Exclusion

Homelessness study had been in the UK for an average

of seven years before becoming homeless, making

reconnection an inappropriate option for most.

• The A10 countries that are frequently referred to

are the ten countries in Eastern Europe that have

acceded to the EU - Poland, Lithuania, Latvia,

Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia,

Estonia, Romania and Bulgaria (formerly the A8

and A2 countries).

• There are 370,000 East European migrants living

in London (Census 2010). Polish is second most

spoken language in England and in West London

boroughs (Ealing) in particular (ONS, Census

2010, March 2013).

• East European migrants constitute 5% of London’s

population, but EE rough sleepers constitute a

disproportionate 31% of the street population

(CHAIN March-April 2013, Broadway April 2013).

• East European Advice Centre dealt with 720 calls

in 2012 from people needing help with housing,

debt or employment issues (40% of the total calls

to the centre); of these, some 600 (80%) were

from people either at risk of losing their home or

actually homeless.

• EEAC’s 2013 survey established that 90% of

the East European migrants surveyed were

economically active but most were in low-paid

jobs; a disproportionate 86% of EE migrants

(comparing with 49% London average) live in

accommodation rented from private landlords.



FEATURES


THE FEEDPASSIONATE ABOUT FOOD PASSIONATE ABOUT PEOPLE

Barry Allard is the founder of LEAP - a personal development programme in Norwich for people experiencing disadvantage and inequalities in health, housing and employment. LEAP’s latest initiative is The Feed, a social enterprise project which will provide outside catering to businesses and local charities, a festival pop-up and (in the long term) a café in the local community. We spoke to Barry about how The Feed will work, why the project is so valuable from a training and employment perspective, and how other organisations in the homelessness sector can make social enterprise initiatives work…

TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT THE FEED…The Feed will provide delicious food and a quality

service, with a focus on producing a range of quality

North African, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern

cuisine (think Ottolenghi!). This will form the basis of an

outside catering facility, a festival pop-up, and - in the

future - hopefully a community café.

Crucially, The Feed will be run by ex-LEAP clients. It will

provide innovative training opportunities for people

who have been homeless, marginalised or vulnerable.

One of the main priorities of the scheme is to change

people’s perceptions of those individuals who have

been away from the job market for a long time, or who

have a history of criminal activity.

The initiative is also about creating financial

sustainability for LEAP - to help make the organisation

less reliant on external funding.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO FOCUS ON FOOD PROVISION AS A MEANS OF PROVIDING TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES?A lot of LEAP clients like the tangible results the food

industry provides. Unlike many other avenues of

employment, it’s also an industry in which there are

lots of realistic employment opportunities and roles for

people who don’t necessarily have lots of qualifications.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO FOCUS ON NORTH AFRICAN, MEDITERRANEAN AND MIDDLE EASTERN CUISINE?Former LEAP client and ex-chef Munya will be leading

the project on the ground. Munya has African roots, so

an African or African fusion concept was the obvious

choice. Our market research also found that there is

currently a relative lack of competition for this type of

cuisine in the local community.

HOW IS THE FEED PROJECT STRUCTURED?First, we had to register the scheme as a social enterprise

and community interest company. We also had to make

sure existing LEAP partners (Norwich City Council and

St Martins Housing Trust) were happy with all proposed

aspects of the initiative.

At the beginning, The Feed’s team will consist of Munya

as lead chef and three other volunteers. I will also be on

hand to provide management guidance and support

when needed.

WHAT WILL THE FEED TRAINEES BE ABLE TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE EXPERIENCE?Volunteers on the project will be able to work towards a

range of specific catering qualifications - including those

related to food hygiene and preparation. In the future,

LEAP hopes to create an overall qualification unique to

The Feed - giving the initiative more of an academy feel.

More generally, trainees will gain a range of skills that

should increase their levels of employability - ranging

from customer service and cash handling experience to

communications, sales and marketing skills.

In the longer term, we also hope to set up relationships

with organisations in the local area, and help trainees

into employment that way. For example, Norwich City

College has a catering school. It would be good to be

able to eventually channel The Feed volunteers into

that, and into jobs in local restaurants.



FEATURES


HOW ARE YOU SELECTING THE LEAP CLIENTS TO TAKE PART IN THE SCHEME?LEAP has a number of former clients (like The Feed’s

new lead chef Munya) who already have experience of

working with food. However, we’d like to involve as wide a

variety of people as possible: If a client shows an interest in

becoming part of The Feed, we’ll give them an interview!

At this early stage, however, we also need to be realistic.

For example, we’ve taken the decision to focus on clients

who will feel comfortable working within the strict health

and safety food guidelines that apply. There will also be

a risk assessment system in place to assess other potential

issues - for example, the risk of taking on a client who

has a history of theft. However, we will look at each case

individually. In the future, we hope that the scheme can

be expanded to safely include more vulnerable clients.

DO YOU ANTICIPATE ANY PARTICULAR CHALLENGES IN OVERSEEING THE PROJECT?There are always challenges around managing

volunteers. For example, volunteers’ level of involvement

may be limited by other commitments; and in due

course, people may want to leave to take paid work.

I’ve learnt a lot about managing volunteers through

running other LEAP initiatives. That means I’ve been

able to plan ahead, and set up a volunteer training and

engagement structure designed to prevent or minimise

difficulties in the future. There will, for example, be a

process that includes an initial application, an interview,

thorough training and continuous support. I hope each

of these steps will help ensure that potential volunteers

are fully aware of the roles, responsibilities and levels of

commitment that are involved.

WILL THE FEED TRY TO COMPETE ON A GENUINELY COMMERCIAL BASIS WITH OTHER BUSINESSES? I think it’s really important that The Feed becomes a

genuinely competitive, high-quality outside catering

service. I’m involved with the Lloyds Bank Social

Entrepreneurs Programme (run by the Eastern Enterprise

Hub) and have learnt a lot through that. We’ve analysed

the competition, (festival caterers, African food caterers

and local community cafes) and we believe The Feed

will perform strongly in comparison. The fact that

customers will be doing good by using the service will

just be a bonus, not the main reason for choosing The

Feed over the competition.

I hope The Feed will be able to make a small profit within

its first year. I think this will be possible, because the

project has low overheads. For example, there will be no

paid staff attached solely to the project.

IS THIS THE SORT OF INITIATIVE OTHER HOMELESSNESS ORGANISATIONS COULD SET UP? Yes, definitely. As long as the local competition and food

industry environments are taken into account, there’s

no reason why similar schemes can’t be set up by other

homelessness organisations.

In fact, I think homelessness organisations all over

England should be considering starting social enterprise

projects like The Feed, as a way to both raise revenue

and to provide training opportunities.

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE THE FEED TO DEVELOP IN THE FUTURE?I’m really inspired by organisations like the Beyond Food

Foundation, and the Skylight cafés set up by Crisis. In

due course, I would love to see The Feed develop into

an academy in its own right, providing high-quality

outdoor catering to businesses and big festivals, and

providing multiple, paid employment opportunities for

people who have experienced homelessness.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT LEAP AND THE FEEDLEAP empowers people who face homelessness to live a fulfilling life of their choice.

www.norwichleap.co.uk



FEATURES


There are a growing number of work placement

schemes that partner private companies with

homelessness organisations, and, as I was to discover,

they benefit all parties.

Business in the Community, a socially-focused, business-

led charity with an extensive network of private

companies, launched their Ready for Work programme

in 2001. The scheme aimed to provide participants with

work placements, mentoring and a route into full time

employment. Fast forward thirteen years, and over 3,000

people have been employed following placements

in companies such as Barclays, Freshfields, Marks &

Spencer and Carillion. Over half of the 3,000 candidates

were rough sleepers or still classed as homeless at the

time of their placement.

I spoke to Dianne Crookes, Group Resourcing Supplier

Manager with the Royal Mail Group. Here’s what she

told me:

"We’ve been participating in the Ready for Work

programme since 2005. We have provided 451 work

placements, 217 of which have resulted in jobs.

Additionally, we have employed 89 Ready for Work

candidates that did placements with other companies.

We’ve just appointed our 306th candidate!

“The Ready for Work programme is a good source of

employees, they’re local people who just need to be given

a chance and as a business, we fundamentally feel that’s

the right thing to do. Our biggest challenge initially was

ensuring consistency of process and prioritising where to

start with the roll out, as there was so much enthusiasm.

“We employ over 127,000 people on the front-line,

and we have some really great employees who love

being involved with the Ready for Work placements.

It’s a good development opportunity for them to learn

buddying and mentoring. We’ve found that employee

engagement has increased right across the business.

Some 74% of staff participating in buddying/mentoring

report increased job satisfaction; and 80% say that

the process has improved their relationship building

skills. Some 94% say they feel more understanding and

empathy towards others.

“For any business considering offering Ready for Work

placements I’d say this: Our contact at Business in the

Community is very professional and supportive, and they

provide good resources when you need information

for stakeholders. Just make sure you take the time to

engage people at all levels across your company. It’s

the employees on the front line who will make it work.

The benefits to your company far outweigh any time

and resources required to set the placements up.”

As well as national schemes like Ready for Work,

there are smaller partnerships between homelessness

organisations and businesses. Providence Row has

developed its collaboration with the Andaz hotel on

Liverpool Street over several years. Initially the hotel

donated surplus stock, such as towels, but in 2011 the

two organisations came together to create a series of

workshops on catering, healthy eating and hospitality

for Providence Row clients. They designed a seven week

Catering Trainee scheme in the charity’s day centre

kitchen, followed by a placement in the busy hotel

kitchen. Last year, three people gained employment

after completing the programme, and the scheme

won a Lord Mayor’s Dragon Award which celebrates

excellence in corporate community involvement

A TWO WAY STREETFor service users who are ready, a work placement can be life-transforming. Placements provide valuable work experience, a boost to the CV (and self-esteem) and, sometimes, a direct route into employment. There are many excellent ‘in-house’ work placement schemes; but not every service user wants to work within our sector. It’s important that the back-to-work opportunities available are as diverse as service users’ aspirations.

BY LINDSAY STRONGE



FEATURES


programmes. One person who used to sleep outside the

hotel is now employed there.

It’s not only employees who have a more positive view

of companies that take their responsibility to local

communities seriously. Consumers are increasingly

interested in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). In

Nielsen’s 2013 global survey ‘Consumers who Care’, 50%

of respondents stated that they would be prepared

to pay more for goods and services from companies

that give back to society; this is a 5% increase from

2011. Businesses have a considerable amount to gain,

economically and socially, from prioritising the CSR

agenda and a work placement programme is a solid

foundation.

Taking social responsibility a step further are social

businesses created purely to make profit for charities

and employ ex-homeless people. Connection Crew

is a unique social business in crewing and logistics.

Customers hire a crew to set up stages, build sets and

deal with lighting and sound equipment. Around 25%

of Connection Crew’s workforce are work ready ex-

homeless people who have completed an employment

support programme and an initial work placement.

Any profit made by the company is donated to The

Connection at St-Martins-in-the-Fields.

In 2011, Josh Littlejohn and his partner Alice Thompson

set up Social Bite, a café in Edinburgh. The café uses

locally-sourced ingredients and ploughs all profits back

into charities set up to solve social problems at home

and abroad. A quarter of the workforce of Social Bite

are ex-homeless, some of whom had rough slept outside

the café and were local Big Issue sellers who the café’s

staff and customers were familiar with. The Social Bite

team help them find accommodation, provide an

income and train them up on site.

Josh has a vision about the future of business. As he

told The Herald newspaper in a recent interview, “we

can't leave it up to governments or charities to solve

our problems” he says, “we need another economic

model.” With two cafés now open in Edinburgh and

one set to open in Glasgow at the beginning of March,

business is booming. Josh says their success is due to the

fact that “we’re doing the right thing.”

With so many inspiring and successful work placement

programmes operating in businesses across the UK, the

future looks bright for service users who are eager to

get back to work. Let’s hope more businesses follow the

lead of those featured here, and offer work placements.

As Dianne Crookes from Royal Mail Group says, “stop

considering it and just do it!”

“THE MOST SATISFYING PART OF MY ROLE IS SEEING A VERY NERVOUS INDIVIDUAL WALKING INTO OUR LARGE ORGANISATION ON THEIR FIRST DAY AND THEN GROWING WITH CONFIDENCE AND EAGERNESS TO LEARN AS THE PLACEMENT PROGRESSES. THE ULTIMATE ACHIEVEMENT IS WHEN WE CAN OFFER SOMEONE A ROLE AND SECURE A BETTER FUTURE FOR THEM WITH ROYAL MAIL.”Jayne Parry, Recruitment Advisor, Royal Mail and site co-ordinator for Ready for Work

Photograph © Michael Walter/Troika, courtesy of Royal Mail Group



FEATURES


Find out more about our Pay it Forward campaign - what’s happening, who we’re working with and how we’ve been able to support them.

WHAT IS PAY IT FORWARD?Pay it Forward is a Homeless Link campaign focused on

protecting and raising awareness of the services that

support people when they lose everything.

Research indicates that almost a third of us has either

been homeless ourselves, or knows someone who has. It

is crucial that individuals experiencing homelessness get

the help they need to overcome their difficulties.

Since 2010, demand for help from local authorities

by people facing homelessness has risen by nearly a

third. However, during the same period, investment in

local services that prevent homelessness and help get

individuals back on their feet has actually fallen in many

areas.

Our Pay it Forward campaign aims to raise awareness

of the fantastic work the sector does in tackling

homelessness, demonstrate the value of investing in

housing-related support, and urge councillors to commit

to protecting funding for homelessness services.

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING?We launched the Pay it Forward campaign in October

2013. Since then, we have been supporting our members

across England to launch their own regional campaigns,

in reaction to proposals from councils to make significant

cuts to housing-related support budgets.

We have been working particularly closely with members

in Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Worcestershire;

areas facing some of the most dramatic cuts. We have

supported them in launching public campaigns, to help

raise the profile of this incredibly important issue.

OXFORDSHIREOver 350 people in Oxfordshire are currently getting the

support they need from charities to leave homelessness

behind. A further 550 people are getting direct support

to prevent them becoming homeless in the first place.

The 2012 rough sleeper count recorded 19 people

sleeping on the county’s streets.

On 6th December 2013, Oxfordshire County Council

opened a public consultation around proposals for its

2014-2015 budget. The saving measures proposed include

a 38% cut to the £4 million budget for Housing Related

Support - hostels, supported housing and floating support.

This equates to a funding cut of around £1.5 million. The

public consultation closed on 3rd January 2014, and the

budget announcement is expected soon.

Around £1 million of the budget is currently spent by

Oxford Homeless Pathways on its O’Hanlon House

and Julian House hostels - and on managing Oxford

Homeless Funeral Fund. There are just three hostels in

Oxford; and this funding cut could lead to the closure of

at least one, potentially turning 60 homeless people out

on to the street.

In response to the proposed cuts, Oxford Homeless

Pathways launched a Change.org petition, urging

Oxfordshire County Council to reconsider the 38% cut. The

charity also sent an open letter to the leader of the council

opposing the proposed cuts, with signatories including our

Chief Executive, Rick Henderson, and the Vice Chancellor

of Oxford University, Professor Andrew Hamilton.

NOTTINGHAMSHIREGovernment statistics show that between 1st July and

30th September 2013, there were 243 applications

to Nottinghamshire City Council for help with

homelessness.

There are currently thousands of people using

homelessness services in the county. Framework, one of

the largest providers of assistance to homeless people in

Nottinghamshire, helps around 6,200 individuals each year.

The County Council’s budget for housing-related

support has been cut repeatedly since 2004 - when it



FEATURES


was £27.3 million per annum. The most recent reduction,

implemented in the past three years, brought the figure

down to just £12.1 million per annum.

Current proposals, which are subject to consultation,

would involve a further reduction to £7.9 million, most

of the latter being ring-fenced to meet statutory

requirements. The public consultation closed on 17

January. An announcement is expected soon.

If implemented, these plans would result in the closure

of all emergency and supported housing for homeless

people in the county. They would also withdraw funding

from community-based support for vulnerable people

living in their own tenancies, and for crisis prevention

work to avoid homelessness.

Framework has already had its funding cut from £7

million per annum to just under £4.5 million. The council’s

proposed cuts would see a further £3.5 million reduction

- 85% in total. The charity says it simply will not survive if

these plans go through.

In response to the latest funding threat, Framework

launched the Think Again campaign to try to convince

Nottinghamshire County Council to change its mind.

Campaign resources include a link to the public

consultation section of the council’s website, an

online petition, a downloadable letter to the leader

of the council, a Twitter campaign, and a poster and

factsheet.

Rick Henderson also wrote a letter to the leader of the

council, Alan Rhodes. In it he opposed the cuts, made

the case for continued investment and requested a

meeting to discuss things further.

WORCESTERSHIREGovernment statistics show that between 1st July and

30th September 2013, there were 222 applications to

Worcestershire County Council for help with homelessness.

As part of Worcestershire County Council’s plan to make

£98 million of savings by 2017, it is proposing to cut its

Housing Related Support Budget by 60%. This would

have a catastrophic effect upon homelessness support

services to vulnerable adults in the area, at a time when

(per 100 households) rough sleeping has increased by

33% in the last year. The public consultation closed on 21

January. An announcement is expected soon.

If the proposed spending reduction goes ahead,

organisations hit hardest will include St Paul’s Hostel,

Citizen’s Advice Bureau and Worcester Community

Housing. The latter, which manages more than 4,000

properties for people on low incomes, is set to lose every

penny of its £630,000 yearly grant from the fund.

Youth homelessness charity St Basils has had 1,438

referrals for help since September 2009 - and has

supported more than 300 young people into supported

accommodation, supported Lodgings and Private

Rented Schemes. However, St Basils’ vital services are

now under threat, as in October 2013 Worcestershire

County Council proposed that the Adult Social Care

budget (including Supporting People funding for

vulnerable young people in the county) be halved.

In response to the proposed cuts, St Basils ran a media

campaign and gained local press coverage. It also

wrote about the threat to funding on its website and

in its newsletter, directing people to the Worcestershire

County Council consultation and our Pay it Forward

campaign resources.

Rick Henderson wrote a letter to the leader of the

council (Adrian Hardman) opposing the cuts, making

the case for continued investment and requesting a

meeting to discuss the situation further.



FEATURES


A GUIDE TOLOCAL INFLUENCINGWhen it comes to campaigning on homelessness, local influencing activity can make all the difference. We have the resources that could help.

Influencing your local councillor, media or partner

organisations may seem daunting, but there is no

one in a better place to do this than you. You’re the

expert on your community, and you’re the person or

organisation that will be directly affected by local

decisions. Because of this, it’s you that local decision

makers want to talk to most.

That’s why we’ve worked with our members to create

a series of guides to help you. They take you through

the key steps to influencing local decision makers, and

provide tips and tools to help you along the way.

Here are five quick tips to get you started!

1. HAVE A PLANTackling the issue in its entirety can be complex, so it's

wise to start off small: Clarify what the specific issues

are in your local area and what it is that you want to

change.

Having a specific ask will help focus your influencing

work.

2. WORK IN PARTNERSHIPTo make change happen you will need to decide whose

support is critical and how you will approach them.

Involving local groups or organisations that have similar

interests as you - and who want to influence your key

audiences - can be mutually beneficial, saving you both

valuable time and resources.

3. RUN A CAMPAIGNCampaigning is an effective way of bringing about

change by raising awareness of an issue and giving

people a voice to take action against it.

Campaigns unite people who are passionate about a

specific cause, so running one could be the best way

for you to involve local people, councillors, services and

service users in your influencing work.

4. WORK WITH YOUR COUNCILEngaging elected councillors and council staff in your

work is key to ensuring they make the right decisions

about how local services are commissioned and run.

Getting a councillor or the Mayor to commit to a

campaign pledge or sign up to a petition, for example,

could be the first step to build a relationships and, if

possible, work in partnership with them.

5. INVOLVE THE MEDIALocal papers need local stories, and communities

want to feel connected with local issues. Telling your

stories through media and social media will help raise

awareness of your cause, and could help you gain

support.

And remember, stories that focus on the local and

human elements will be the strongest and most likely to

be covered by journalists or bloggers.

PAY IT FORWARD - TAKE ACTIONAs part of our Pay it Forward campaign, we have also

put together a tool that should make it easier for you

to find out about homelessness numbers in your area.

We’ve also put together a letter template for you to use

when you write to your local councillors.

PAY IT FORWARD: RESOURCES TO TAKE ACTIONYou can find and use the interactive tool and letter template at:

www.endhomelessness.org.uk/take-action


MAKINGSOCIAL IMPACTMEASUREMENTWORKThe rise of ‘payment by results’ and social investment in the third sector could push core beneficiaries to the margins of the impact measurement process. However, homelessness organisations have a solution. Through careful application of good practice in impact measurement - as exemplified by the charity Porchlight - the sector can ensure that new funding mechanisms genuinely and sustainably meet the needs of homeless people.


Porchlight is a homelessness charity that works throughout Kent

and Croydon. Porchlight commissioned CAN Invest, the

social investment and social impact consultancy

of the charity CAN, to evaluate one of its

Canterbury-based young persons’

services using the Social Return

on Investment (SROI)

methodology.

At CAN Invest

we spent more

than a year working

with Porchlight to undertake

research - conducting extensive

interviews and surveys with the

service’s major stakeholders. These involved

commissioners, public and third sector partner

organisations, staff, and most importantly the young

people who receive accommodation and other support

from Porchlight. CAN Invest calculated that for every £1 invested

in Porchlight’s young persons’ service, the charity is forecast to

deliver between £4.30 and £7.60 in social value to a variety of

stakeholders.

BY ROHAN MARTYRES

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So, who is involved in calculating such figures? And will

this change with the rise of ‘payment by results’ and

social investment?

THE TRADITIONAL AUDIENCE OF SOCIAL IMPACT REPORTINGSocial impact reporting by homelessness organisations

and others in the third sector has traditionally been aimed

more at funders than end users. This is probably because

funders do not directly experience users’ outcomes;

and therefore need additional information. However,

the rise of outcomes-based commissioning and social

investment has the potential to push beneficiaries to the

margins of the impact measurement process; not in terms

of audience, but - more fundamentally - in terms of the

outcomes being measured.

This may seem counter-intuitive: Outcomes-based

commissioning and social investment are generally seen

as means by which financial incentives are aligned

with the greater social outcomes delivered by charities

for their core beneficiaries. To take the UK’s first Social

Impact Bond as an example, social investors will be paid

by justice commissioners if the charity St Giles Trust and

its partners manage to reduce re-offending rates in men

serving short-term sentences at HMP Peterborough.

RISKS OF HEADLINE KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS THAT FOCUS PRIMARILY ON COMMISSIONERS’ AND INVESTORS’ INTERESTSThere is a danger that social impact measurement will

over-focus on funders’ interests. Practically speaking, an

organisation may invest the majority of effort in measuring

against indicators demanded by commissioners, and

spend too little time understanding the perspectives,

insights and desires of beneficiaries themselves.

Two unfortunate consequences may arise as a result.

First, beneficiaries’ voices would be marginalised from

decisions about what is important. Second, the cart is put

before the horse: The majority of the effort should instead

be directed towards understanding and measuring the

complex links between perceptions and interim outcomes

for beneficiaries as they receive support (or not) from their

families, support organisations and wider society. After

all, it is these factors that ultimately drive the longer-term

outcomes of interest to homelessness commissioners.

HOW PORCHLIGHT ADDRESSED THESE RISKSFollowing CAN Invest’s principles-based approach to

impact measurement, our SROI work with Porchlight

involved engagement with core beneficiaries at all

major stages of the impact measurement and reporting

process. First, we considered their needs in designing the

impact framework. Second, we directly engaged with

them using robust qualitative and quantitative methods,

to identify and value the outcomes they experienced.

These included a range of indicators to measure

outcomes for both funders and core beneficiaries.

Third, we reported the findings to beneficiaries for their

feedback and further insight. And finally, we formulated

recommendations to ensure beneficiaries’ insights

and concerns influence Porchlight’s decision-making.

Recommendations ranged from what outcomes to

measure and how that should be done, to suggestions

on how better to stay in touch with beneficiaries after

they have stopped using Porchlight’s services.

Every organisation is different, and the impact framework

that works for Porchlight may not work for others. For

example, SROI - while appropriate for Porchlight - is only

one of the methodologies that CAN Invest deploys to

measure impact. And these methodologies in turn should

not be confused with the wider issue of the objectives

for measuring impact. Accordingly, the most important

question an organisation needs to ask is, ‘What exactly

are we trying to achieve by understanding our impact?’

How this question is answered will form the basis for

everything else. But as a constant, I would recommend

that every homelessness organisation carefully considers

which outcomes their social impact measurement

systems focus on, and whose values and interests their

measurement systems serve.

THE PRIZE OF GETTING IT RIGHT - MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE MOST MARGINALISEDThere are no easy answers here. On the one hand, front-

line organisations must meet demands to focus on the

sort of outcomes that commissioners and funders value,

and use cost-efficient impact reporting systems suited to

lean times. On the other, they need to uphold the notion

that homeless people and the outcomes they value

remain at the heart of social impact measurement.

But the prize is clear. By navigating these waters, the

sector can help ‘payment by results’ funding and social

investment meet their potential, and sustainably reduce

social disadvantage. In this way, we can collectively

ensure that emerging funding mechanisms strengthen

the sector’s moral purpose as a champion for those who

are marginalised from society and who do not currently

have the means to support themselves.

CAN InvestFurther information on CAN Invest’s approach to impact measurement can be found at: www.can-online.org.uk/can-impact

Porchlight SROI Further information on the Porchlight SROI is available at: www.porchlight.org.uk



Welfare reform aims to simplify the benefits systems -

but things are likely to get worse before they get better.

People experiencing homelessness are more likely to

receive sanctions to their benefits, the consequences

of which are severe with sanctions affecting housing,

wellbeing and the services that work with them.

Sanctions often undo the hard work of homelessness

services, and staff are spending increasing amounts of

time managing clients’ benefits claims with less time to

spend on other aspects of support.

Where homelessness services work together with Job

Centre Plus (JCP), sanctions can be prevented as there

is an increased understanding of the barriers faced by

people experiencing homelessness. Some services do

work well with JCP - but joint working is often dependent

on personal relationships with individual JCP advisors.

In partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions

(DWP), Homeless Link piloted a Working Together

event which brought together JCP and homelessness

service staff with the aim of facilitating networking and

increasing joint working between organisations. The event

took place on the December 6th 2013 at Kennington Job

Centre in South London, and was attended by 35 JCP

staff and 35 Homelessness sector staff.

The event included speakers - from both the DWP and the

homelessness sector - who broached difficult subjects such

as sanctions and the work programme and ensured that

everyone in the room understood both side’s priorities and

perspectives. As one attendee put it, “It was good to get

the elephant out of the room”. Real common ground was

found by everybody when David Ford, former Chair of

Homeless Link’s expert panel, talked about his experience

of claiming JSA while homeless and his journey into

employment.

The event also included table discussions on joint

working, and plenty of opportunities for networking. By

meeting one another in person, JCP and homelessness

sector staff were able to understand each other’s

priorities, make personal contacts and build trust in

joint working. By working together in group discussion

sessions, attendees came up with potential solutions

and actions to take forward. They also discussed ways

to develop joint working practices in their organisations

that worked for everyone. Mutually beneficial

partnership arrangements were also identified by

everyone as good practice, with co-location, single

points of contact and reciprocal training between

organisations being cited as mutually beneficial.

An attendee emphasised: “I will raise the consequences

of sanctions and the issues faced by homeless claimants

among JCP front line advisers. I will encourage

them to forge relationships with local homelessness

organisations. I will also encourage JCP advisers to

take into account issues faced by NFA claimants when

signing commitments.” The event concluded with

commitments from both the DWP and homelessness

services to develop better joint working between the

homelessness sector and JCP across London and the

Home Counties.

Homeless Link will be running more Working Together

events across England, to help homelessness services

recognise the opportunities as well as the consequences

of welfare reform by working collaboratively and

preventatively with JCP. Changes such as the claimant

commitment offer more personalised support to claimants,

and JCP staff are able and willing to work together and

recognise the support of homelessness services. Now is

the time to develop these relationships, and to help JCP

understand the barriers experienced by homeless people.

WORKING TOGETHERDWP NETWORKING EVENTWith so many changes brought about by welfare reform, it is becoming increasingly challenging for homelessness organisations and the clients they serve to navigate through benefits systems.

“THE EVENT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE AND OPENED MY EYES MORE TO THE MAJOR PROBLEM LONDON IS FACING WITH HOMELESSNESS.”

WORKING TOGETHER EVENTS IN YOUR AREAWe’re running more DWP networking events across the country until June

homeles.org.uk/events/national-regional



MANAGINGPEOPLE Dear Helen,

I work for a bank and I’ve been doing some volunteering with a homelessness charity, which I’ve loved and I’m thinking of applying for a paid trainee role. My family are worried that I will be narrowing my career options by doing this, since it’s quite a specific field. Do you think their concerns are justified?

I think in the first place you need to be very clear that you feel passionate about wanting to work with homeless and other disadvantaged people before leaving the security of a career in financial services. If this is so, I believe that working in homelessness services gives a

great opportunity to learn loads of skills that will stand you in good stead to make moves within the broader support and care/social housing sectors - and well beyond.

Because the needs of homeless people are so varied

and complex, front-line workers receive training in

an amazing variety of specialised areas. As well as

developing generic competences including excellent

communication and influencing skills, you will learn how

to work with people with different kinds of addictions

and a range of mental health problems, such as

schizophrenia and personality disorders. You will also

learn how to work sensitively with specific groups of

people, such as sex workers, refugees, asylum seekers

and victims of domestic violence. These skills will provide

you with a passport to work in all kinds of other related

sectors - and sadly there is no shortage of work for those

wanting to support vulnerable people.

If you want to progress to a management role, there

are many opportunities for promotion within the sector.

Homelessness organisations are very complex social

businesses that work in an increasingly commercial

environment. If you work for an organisation that

provides good leadership and management training

- which many do - you will learn the whole range of

management skills, which are transferable to any kind

of organisation. This will encompass ‘hard’ skills such

as commercial acumen, project management and

service design and development. You will also learn

effective people management techniques and the

‘softer’ leadership, interpersonal and partnership skills

associated with the ability to achieve results with and

through others.

Also, there’s a great

deal of mobility if you want to move between

disciplines in the sector. For example, we’ve had staff who

have moved from generic front-line services into specialist

areas of service delivery or into policy, communications,

fundraising or business support functions. There is a

real dynamism and fluidity to the sector, with talented

people who want to run with new things being actively

encouraged and supported to do so.

You definitely shouldn’t make the move if you want

to earn a lot of money, but in all other ways it’s an

extremely rewarding career. There is hard evidence that

people working in voluntary sector organisations feel

more engaged and motivated at work than in other

sectors; and from our own benchmarked staff surveys,

we know that employee engagement in homelessness

services is particularly high. I hope your family will be

reassured!

Helen Giles is HR Director of Broadway and Managing Director of Broadway’s Real People HR consultancy

www.broadwaysrealpeople.com

HOMELESS LINK TRAINING

Here are just some of the courses we can run in-house:

ENGAGE AND EMPOWERLearn to help clients improve self-awareness, build motivation

and self-esteem, break free from unhelpful behavioural

patterns, and take responsibility for their actions and choices.

HOW TO USE THE OUTCOMES STARFind out how to use the star to improve support planning and

prove the impact of your service.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE: SUPPORTING EX-OFFENDERSFind out how to work with ex-offenders to reduce re-offending

and move them towards more positive goals.

IN-HOUSE TRAINING Our in-house training courses are held at a time and place convenient to you. You can pick from over 30 topics and train up to 16 members of staff at a time.

Always grounded in the latest research, with opportunities to practice new ways of working and build a team approach around particular work areas, our courses will help you and your colleagues to excel.

DEVELOPING THE EXPERTISE OF THE SECTOR

TRAIN YOUR TEAM

HOMELESS.ORG.UK/TRAINING | @HOMELESSLINK | 020 7840 4450

“I love Homeless Link

training - I never fail

to take something

away with me.”

Tracy, Chelmsford Chess

COMMENT CONNECT | MARCH 2014


We’ve pulled together a list of resources and research related to the features in this edition of CONNECT. If you have any information you would like to share with our member organisations, please write to [email protected].

RESOURCES

HOMELESS LINK INFORMATION Find us online

homeless.org.uk/blogtwitter.com/homelesslinkfacebook.com/homelesslink

Welfare AwareOur key resources on the latest and upcoming

changes to the welfare system

homeless.org.uk/welfare-aware

Effective ActionGood practice guidance for local authorities

and services

homeless.org.uk/effective-action

Our policy workLatest research on youth homelessness and more.

http://homeless.org.uk/research

In the regionsMeet your Homeless Link regional managers.

homeless.org.uk/contact-regional-manager

Local influencing toolkitTools to help you promote your work in your local

community.

homeless.org.uk/local-influencing

And your NAC representatives.

homeless.org.uk/contact-nac

MORE LINKS

Streetlink

www.streetlink.org.uk

Homeless Pages

www.homelesspages.org.uk

Homeless UK

homelessuk.org

CONTRIBUTORS

Learning Maths Online - learningmathsonline.ac.uk

Transforming Choice - transformingchoice.org.uk

NIACE - niace.org

Homeless FA - homelessfa.org

Lift - liftpeople.org.uk

LEAP - norwichleap.co.uk

Business in the Community - bitc.org.uk

CAN Invest - can-online.org.uk

Porchlight - porchlight.org.uk

This edition was edited by

Serena Cowdy - www.serenacowdy.com

WWW.HOMELESS.ORG.UK

Connect 50: TRAIN, EMPLOY, TRANSFORM

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