Homelessness Policy Watch
A review of government policies which impact on
homelessness by Crisis and NPI
WIDER POLICIES
English Education and Skills Policy
Key policies:
- Connexions
- DfES Skills Strategy 'Skills: Getting on in business, getting on at work'
- Learn Direct
- DCLG homelessness strategies (formerly ODPM)
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. The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) 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. Finally, a number of the initiatives of the DCLG's Homeless and Supported Housing Directorate (formerly ODPM) cover some aspects of education/skills.
Connexions
When Connexions was set up, it was done with an eye to having an impact on youth homelessness, since "education, training and employment (the primary principles of inclusion as far as Connexions is concerned) are among the main factors protecting against homelessness".[1]
Connexions offers support in accordance with the housing needs of the young person through a combination of one-to-one support, and brokerage of appropriate specialist services. For example, in the case of homelessness:
- If someone is at risk of homelessness, Connexions personal advisers help address the source of the risk. In practice, this might require advisers to link people to family mediation services, or substance misuse services, depending on the source of risk.
- If a young person is leaving home, advisers offer help with accessing accommodation, benefits, life skills and anything else that might prevent homelessness.
- If a young person is already homeless, advisers work with the appropriate agencies to help secure accommodation and, once this has been done, agree protocols with the housing provider to "update them about the young person's situation... and work with them to agree an action plan and roles".[2] The plans aim to help the young person settle in accommodation, or help them to return home, with the aim of enabling them to successfully engage in learning.
One limitation of Connexions is that it caters primarily for people up to the age of 21 (recently changed from 19). Jobcentre Plus is the nearest equivalent for people above this age, but, apart from the aim of getting people into education, employment or training, the services differ significantly. For example, Jobcentre Plus does not operate a system of personal advisers linked in to other services in a structured, formalised way - something which is a perceived strength of Connexions.
Department for Education and Skills
Skills strategy
The 2005 white paper Skills: Getting on in business, getting on at work talks in general terms about helping ‘disadvantaged groups' to improve their skills. Homeless people are not mentioned specifically, and there is little indication that the proposed methods for tackling skills disadvantage have taken specific account of homeless people. Similarly, the 2003 skills strategy, 21st century skills - realising our potential, does not mention homelessness. In contrast, its 2001 precursor, Skills for life, identified homeless people as a group in particular need of skills development, but the definition of homelessness used only covered those who have successfully applied to their local authority to be classified as homeless. The Skills for Life Unit runs a 'Grassroutes' project which seeks, partly, for hostels to increase their provision of literacy and numeracy courses. However, the project is small scale and has limited reach.
Learn Direct
Learn Direct is an initiative developed by the University for Industry, and is funded by the Learning and Skills Council. It comprises around 2,000 access and advice centres around the UK, provides information on courses available in a specific area, and offers learning courses on line. The aim is to provide a flexible way of learning with no rigid commitment necessary. The courses are potentially accessible to homeless people, since all that is needed to register is an email address.
Although not a specific policy to address homelessness, its target groups are those "who are excluded from education", "who feel excluded from our digital society", and who are "seeking work and wish to improve employability", all groups which will obviously include some homeless people.
The actual engagement of homeless people with Learn Direct is not known. However, it would appear that use is not widespread, since Learn Direct has recently undertaken work to better understand how homeless people might be engaged.[3] Learn Direct have stated that homeless people are a group of particular interest for them, and are keen to extend their work beyond Foyers. Crisis' Learning Zone is now an official Learning Direct provider.
Train to Gain
The national rollout of the Train to Gain programme began in April 2006. The programme, for adult learners, delivers training, normally in the workplace, designed and delivered to suit the employer's operational needs. Identifying training needs and finding suitable training for employees to meet these needs is helped by an impartial broker. Starting from September 2006, the Train to Gain services will also offer skills development at HE level through this service. Currently however, voluntary workers are exempt from the scheme. This is of concern for homeless people as volunteering can be a route back into employment.
National Learning and Skills Council
The Learning and Skills Council developed, in partnership with the then ODPM, Foyer Federation and Crisis, the homeless sector pilot qualifications specifically for homeless people and those teaching them. The pilot was mainstreamed in July 2006.
Department for Communities and Local Government (formerly Office of the Deputy Prime Minister - ODPM)
Homelessness strategies
A 2003 ODPM policy briefing on homelessness and employment 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.
There is a similar lack of substantive guidance on training and employment in the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) Homelessness code of guidance for local authorities - help is limited to a list of organisations and government schemes, which may be of use. This is in contrast with housing issues, where substantial guidance is provided.
The 'ODPM Improving hostels, changing lives: guidance notes for HCIP' states "Meaningful activity must be at the core of service delivery within hostels, alongside access to health services ... An expectation that residents will take part in such activity should be made clear at initial assessment stage and encouraged by staff during a resident's stay in a hostel". However, only a third of agencies providing housing related support to homelss people also offer support to engage in wider activities like learning.
Learning Zones
The ODPM (now DCLG) funded ten learning zones as part of a pilot programme to engage rough sleepers and former rough sleepers in training and developing skills, building confidence and improving social networks, with a view to future employment and enhanced tenancy sustainment. The programme ended in March 2002 and ODPM has been working with the National Learning and Skills Council to develop a replacement to the Learning Zones. Little is known about the replacement except that the aims are to train staff and volunteers working in the homelessness sector in order to enhance learning for clients, to develop a programme for homeless clients, and to map provision.
[1] Working together: Connexions and youth homelessness agencies, Connexions and Department for Transport and the Regions, 2001. Back to text
[2] Working together: Connexions and youth homelessness agencies, Connexions and Department for Transport and the Regions, 2001. Back to text
[3] Learn Direct carried out pilots in 2004 with The Foyer Federation with the aim of producing a national model for Foyers. Back to text
Page last modified on 11/07/2006 at 12:26