Homelessness Policy Watch
A review of government policies which impact on
homelessness by Crisis and NPI
WIDER POLICIES
Education and Skills Policy
Overview
This section provides a review of education and skills policies which are relevant to homeless people, in England, Scotland and Wales.
Homelessness and Education and Skills
Research suggests levels of education and skills are generally much lower among homeless people than the rest of the population with, for example, the Foyer Federation reporting that around half of their clients/members have no educational qualifications compared to one in twenty of the population as a whole[1].
The experience of Crisis is that life skills are at least as important as formal educational qualifications to help people break free from the cycle of homelessness.
Relevant Policies
Education and skills policy is fully devolved to Scotland and Wales.
In both England and Scotland, there is currently no obvious overall policy for addressing low education and skills among homeless people.
This contrasts with the situation in Wales, where there is both a dedicated organisation and a major programme of delivery being developed to address low skill levels amongst homeless people.
English Education and Skills Policy
- Connexions: The only area of Government policy relating to education and skills that specifically tries to address homeless people is Connexions, which focuses on young people.
- DfES Skills Strategy: The Department for Education and Skills has no explicit policies to raise education and skills amongst homeless people. Although, its skills strategy does discuss 'disadvantaged groups', which could be understood to include homeless people.
- 2003 ODPM policy briefing on homelessness and employment: This policy briefing stated that local authority homelessness strategies are the main and most effective way in which training and employment opportunities can be improved for homeless people. It does, however, provide little guidance on what the strategies should say on training and employment.
- National Learning and Skills Council: The Learning and Skills Council developed, in partnership with the then ODPM, Foyer Federation, Crisis, and other homelessness agencies, the homeless sector pilot qualifications specifically for homeless people and those teaching them. The pilot was mainstreamed in July 2006. The DCLG is also working with the National Learning and Skills Council on a replacement to the Learning Zones, which ended in March 2002.
Scottish Education and Skills Policy
There are two main adult learning programmes in Scotland:
Neither of these programmes has a specific agenda relating to homeless people, although such people may be covered by some of the services.
Welsh Education and Skills Policy
- Wales - the learning country: The Assembly's learning strategy, specifically identified homeless people as a group of concern.
- Education and Learning Wales (ELWa): This was the Assembly's main delivery organisation for learning. The Assembly made ELWa specifically responsible for education and learning among homeless people. In April 2005 this was replaced by the Department for Education Lifelong Learning and Skills (DELLS).
- The Learning Community Account: Launched in Summer 2005, this will be the main initiative to help homeless people to develop their skills.
Commentary on Education and Skills Policy
Unlike in England and Scotland, in Wales there is a clear, major programme for learning development which explicitly includes homeless people. As such, in England and Scotland, policy makers should initiate projects specifically to raise the levels of education and skills among homeless people and develop a policy response to address these problems. Any initiatives should focus on engaging homeless people; extend education and skills policy beyond formal qualifications; tackle low skills levels among homeless adults and more vulnerable homeless groups, with no upper age limit for those receiving help; and address the 16-hour rule of Housing Benefit.
End notes
[1] The 16 hour rule - past its sell by date, Foyer Federation, 2003. Back to text
Page last modified on 11/07/2006 at 09:34