Missed opportunities: The Case for Investment in Learning and Skills for Homeless People Jane Luby, 13 July 2006

Research brief and method  To explore the policy and economic case for learning and skills provision  Focus on single homeless people  Learning and skills development:  Accredited (formal) learning  Life skills: budgeting, communication skills, anger management  Informal learning opportunities  Preparation for work  Review of: Government strategies; research on benefits of learning; homelessness research  Interviews with homeless people, funders, policy makers, learning providers

Some facts and figures Attitudes to and experience of learning:  4 x more likely to have no qualifications  6 x more likely to have problems reading and writing  More than half want to learn  Less than 1/5 engaged in learning Attitudes to and experience of work:  97% want to work, ¾ want to work now  Most have worked in the past  Less than 2% of homeless people are in full-time work  12% are in part-time work

Impact on homelessness  Homeless people are intensive users of public services  High incidence of repeat homelessness  Gov recognises need for holistic packages of support  Poor life skills, loneliness and lack of confidence all contribute to continued homelessness  L&S increases confidence, improves life skills, widens social networks  Helps to address mental health needs, substance misuse and offending

Wider Policy Benefits  Delivers value for money to Skills Agenda plus reduction in inequality and wider social benefits  Supports transition from Welfare to Work for group with highest level of worklessness  Supports Substance Misuse treatment outcomes for the 50-75% with problematic substance misuse  Reduces offending: 40% of homeless people at risk of serial, low level crime  Improves health for 70% with mental ill-health and 50% with physical illness or disability  Builds stronger, safer communities by reducing crime, anti-social behaviour and improving civic participation

Benefits through costs avoided  Homeless people can cost up to £50,000 per year  £15,000 for support/benefits whilst in hostel  £2,000 per tenancy breakdown  £14,000 per residential substance misuse treatment  £126,000 cost of re-offending  Cost of £206 per ASB incident  11x more likely to use acute mental health services at £6,000 per episode  4 x more likely to be admitted to hospital at £2,500 per admission

Personal Barriers  Loss of dignity/confidence  Poor social skills  Negative past experiences/peer influences  Fears of failure  Multiple needs = need for flexible & holistic response  Mainstream providers not always responsive to needs

Service/funding barriers  Only 1/3 of homeless services offer support to engage  Frontline staff not committed/trained to support learning  Lack of information about learning opportunities  Focus from funders on higher level qualifications/work outcomes  Totality of benefits not measured or recognised  Individual funders disinvesting in learning and skills for homeless people  Bulk contracting excludes voluntary sector

Conclusions  Homeless people’s multiple needs should put them at forefront of key Government agendas  Learning and skills deliver benefits across all of these  If it isn’t measured, it won’t count  Explicit focus on learning and skills of homeless people required across strategies, funders and providers  Local partnerships can deliver added value – but need new funding for engagement/first rung learning  Joined up working at national level must come first

Research Summary and Full Report available from: