WIDER POLICIES
Wales-Specific Work Policy

Key policies:

Policies concerned with helping people into work are essentially the responsibility of the UK Government (the Department of Work and Pensions).  As such, the main policies in place relate to:

• New Deal and Building on the New Deal
• Progress to Work/Progress to Work Link Up (see the UK Work Policy section).

The New Deal operates across Wales.  The Building on the New Deal: local solutions meeting individual needs proposals will be piloted in Cardiff and the Vale Jobcentre Plus district in 2006.  Progress2Work/Link Up operates in three of the eight Job Centre Plus districts in Wales - Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and the Eastern Valleys.

Wales' Jobcentre Plus does have a certain amount of flexibility in the way in which programmes are delivered, but these are no greater than those granted to regional Jobcentre Plus offices throughout the UK.

Jobcentre Plus initiatives in Wales relating to homelessness

Action Teams for Jobs

There are nine Action Teams for Jobs operating across 30 wards in West and South Wales.  In Wales, most action teams now have at least one personal adviser who specialises and works solely with homeless people, providing surgeries at hostels and centres.

Foyers

Foyers provide accommodation for young people, with an emphasis on linking them into education, training or employment opportunities. 

Although Foyers exist around the UK, the ethos of Foyers is different in Wales.  On the basis that small Foyers are more effective, Wales has moved away from the traditional large-scale model operating in England (there are only two now - in Swansea and Wrexham), and operate only small, dispersed units. 

As mentioned in The National Homelessness Strategy, Foyers are seen as a key part of addressing the employment needs of young homeless people.

Raising awareness about homelessness

Homelessness is a visible subject at a strategic level (Jobcentre Plus Wales), and attempts have been made to raise awareness on the ground.

Jobcentre Plus Wales has made an effort to increase the level of awareness, support and information available to personal advisers.  It considers it "vital that... staff have insight into some of the problems homeless people may face in order to refer to providers/organisations who can offer specialist help".^[1]   This awareness is particularly important in light of the narrow definition that operates in practice within Jobcentre Plus that tends to consider only rough sleepers to be homeless. 

Although no specific information is available on what has been done, presumably some training has been undertaken since Jobcentre Plus personal advisers can now award Community Care Grants to homeless people (rather than directing them to Social Fund loans as in England).  The ability to do so requires a greater understanding of who homeless people are, and a realisation that it may include people with an address.

Other relevant activity of the Welsh Assembly 

Two relevant activities here relate to pre-employment work, and the ‘Employability Package' outlined in the 2005 Skills and Employment Action Plan.  Both of these are activities that have yet to develop.

The National Homelessness Strategy 

The National Homelessness Strategy relates to pre-employment activities, and indicates how important lack of work is to both causing and perpetuating homelessness, with one of its main objectives being "to encourage development of people's confidence and ability to live independently, by helping them into training, employment and other meaningful activities".

It is interesting to note the inclusion of meaningful activities or activities that are not intended to result instantly in a job.  This is echoed later in the activities listed under homelessness prevention in the strategy, which states that "homeless people need learning and training opportunities which are accessible, flexible, and appropriate to their needs, including the option of therapeutic work". 

The Skills and Employment Action Plan

Given the low level of skills among the homeless population, and the current drive in Wales to up-skill the potential and existing workforce, the actions set out in the Skills and Employment Action Plan are potentially very relevant to homeless people.  Of particular interest is the ‘employability package', developed in collaboration with Job Centre Plus, Careers Wales and the Department for Education, Lifelong Learning and Skills, which will develop a new flexible Level 1 programme to include:

• Information, advice and guidance
• Innovative and flexible provision to suit individual needs
• Mentoring support
• A continuum of learning which will enable people to progress from pre-employment training to workplace training

This is due to be in place by April 2006.  No specific mention is made of homeless people in relation to the ‘employability package', but the plan does recognise homeless people as a group requiring sustained help into employment. 

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End notes

[1] Jobcentre Plus initiatives paper 2005. Back to text

Page last modified on 30/06/2006 at 10:49