Homelessness and employability – a Scottish perspective

Vision ‘All of Scotland’s people should have access to good quality, warm and affordable housing. Everyone has the right to a home – a space of their own where they can enjoy privacy and family life.’ Malcolm Chisholm MSP Homes for Scotland’s People 2005

Vision “In 10 years time, we can look forward to a Scotland in which every homeless person has a basic right to somewhere decent to live, and receives all the appropriate support and healthcare they need to sustain their home.” Margaret Curran Minister for Social Justice, Sept 2002

What it means Change in Culture Prevention and Sustainability Person centred approach Solutions cross professional disciplines

HTF Recommendations Recommendation 50 Improve gateways for homeless people to mainstream employment services and programmes Systematic skills auditing of homeless people Ensuring easy access to employment services for homeless people

Recommendation 51 Jobcentre plus and executive and New Deal Task Force to engage employers in developing employment initiatives aimed at vulnerable and homeless people Wider employer participation in transitional employment programmes for homeless people Support for participating employers with emphasis on smaller employers Enlist business networks to promote initiatives

Recommendation 52 Public Sector employers to examine ways of creating and expanding work opportunities for homeless people

Recommendation 53 Transitional employment programmes should be piloted to test creation of new work incentives for homeless people Pilots should test flexibility around housing benefit payments to overcome poverty/benefits trap UK Ministers should consider removing benefits hurdles

Recommendation 54 A clear action plan to be developed to transfer successful service elements from New Futures Fund onto a permanent footing over next three years

How we are progressing nationally – according to HMG reports “Amber” light: “ongoing activity in progress” on all of these SHEN set up Employability framework imminent

Specific Work – the national view 50 Progress2Work link up 50 early access to New Deal for homeless people 50 flexibility for jobcentre plus staff 51 Business Action on homelessness – mainly large companies 51 SME specialist business manager appointed 52 Closing the opportunity gap: some limited progress e.g. in NHS 53 Housing Benefit reforms imminent: may remove some barriers 54 NFF: more short term reprieves

Specific work – the view from the grass roots Benefits hurdles remain as obstacles to employment Employers’ perceptions of client group Need one co-ordinating agency Lack of awareness of skills of homeless people Other structural barriers

Issues Who will take responsibility for NFF type activities at Scottish Level? Will longer term work for those far from labour market get permanent funding? Who should lead on employability in Local Authority homelessness strategies? Who pays? Specialist activity versus mainstream – getting the balance right Will we ever ask homeless applicants : are you in work?

Opportunities Homelessness Monitoring Group SHEN DWP 5 year strategy

Aspirational target of 80% of the working population in work “we will continue to develop additional support targeted at those with specific or multiple needs …..ex-offenders, people with drug or alcohol problems, the homeless and refugees.”