The small-scale project aimed to investigate the effectiveness of interventions to tackle the employment barriers facing homeless young people who were living in supported accommodation.

At the start of the programme, eighty per cent of the young people were not in work or learning and many had no qualifications. The pilot project involved a full time employment support worker based in each of the two hostels, who focused on supporting the transition into employment and education.

It also involved a cash incentive scheme that rewarded young people who stayed in employment. There was also a rent reduction incentive which ensured young people were better off in employment than when on benefits.

The research was managed by Centrepoint and delivered by Centrepoint in London and Depaul Trust in Newcastle. The pilot project was funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government and the Oak Foundation.

Information on the methodology is not given, but it involved qualitative and quantitative elements. The research was carried out between June 2004 and December 2005 and involved fifty young people.

The project found that most young homeless people were not in a position to enter into employment quickly, as many faced multiple barriers including a lack of qualifications and a work history, a criminal record, and low basic skills.

After eighteen months, thirty per cent had achieved a sustained education outcome, with nearly all of them securing qualifications, and six per cent a sustained employment outcome. The study found that as well as improving young people’s employment and educational prospects, it also had a positive impact on their motivation and resilience.

The model of employment support was found to be replicable elsewhere. It was noted that agencies responsible for funding and policy need to recognise that hard to reach individuals need longer transition times and more intensive support into work.

Centrepoint
Phone: +44 845 4663400
info@centrepoint.org

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01/02/2007

Centrepoint

research

Urban Policy > Economy knowledge & employment > Urban economy

Employment