27 April 2010
Homeless people must not be written off when it comes to finding a job, St Mungo's said today as it announced that its 2010 Action Week (20 to 27 June) will focus on Just the Job - supporting homeless people's journey into work.
The Just the Job Action Week aims to raise awareness among the charity's supporters, policymakers and the wider public about the problems homeless people can face when it comes to getting a job, as well as what type of support really works to help them on their journey towards employment.
Only 4% of St Mungo's residents are currently working. Many are long term unemployed - 53% have not worked in the last five years, and 15% have never worked at all.
The Action Week is a focus for fundraising and campaigning. The charity's Pathways to Employment programme runs in five of the charity's main London hostels and is largely charitably funded. More donations will help extend its reach to more of St Mungo's 1,500 residents. Campaign work aims to press government for more long term, integrated and personalised support for those homeless and unemployed.
Charles Fraser, St Mungo's Chief Executive, said: "Most of our residents want to work but a combination of low levels of skills and poor health means that it takes time. During Action Week we'll be urging policymakers to recognise the particular problems that homeless long term unemployed people face, and challenging them to better recognise and resource support services.
"We know how to achieve success - we just need government to back us and, through us, to back the homeless people we work with. They have aspirations too, so please don't write them off. Keeping them unemployed is pointless in human and economic terms."
Last year's Action Week focused on a campaign to support homeless people with mental health issues. This led to the inclusion of homelessness in the Government's new mental health strategy with Charles Fraser invited to join the Department of Health's Ministerial Advisory Group on equality in mental health.
St Mungo's also joined the Conservatives round the table in their discussions on mental health and homelessness, and the charity's work on mental health and homelessness has led to it being shortlisted in the 2010 Chartered Institute of Public Relations awards in the not-for-profit category. The issue continues to gather momentum and St Mungo's is working with organisations across homelessness and mental health through its Implementation Group to ensure that change takes place where it matters - on the frontline.
During the 2010 Action Week events will include:
The Action Week will also talk about the different ways St Mungo's supports people in their journey back to work, or into a job for the first time. These include a dozen different projects from developing people's confidence and life skills through activities, to the intensive tailored support of the Pathways to Employment programme; from literacy and numeracy courses to various certificated courses in, for example, brick laying, decorating and gardening with further education colleges and adult learning organisations. St Mungo's employment team provide CV and job coaching help, help entrepreneurs set up their own social enterprises and help people into work and volunteer placements.
Candice, a Pathways client in a Hackney hostel, now has an NVQ Level 1 in Special Events, and a Construction Skills Certificate. "Since I moved in here I've been so happy. Almost on the very day I got here I felt able to start a computer course to improve my IT skills. I'm taking another course in IT and my driving theory test so that I can eventually get my driving licence," she said. Her aim is to "eventually find work helping others like me."
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITOR