St Mungo’s

St Mungo’s Skills & Employment Programme

Don Macdonald

St Mungo’s

• St Mungo’s are the largest homeless service provider in London

• We provide 1500 beds• We give housing advice in six London

prisons• We run the largest skills & employment

programme in Europe

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Needs & Barriers

• Unemployment is higher for this group, higher than 15 years ago & lacking recent experience of work

• 52% had Literacy/Numeracy needs• 69% with complex needs, which

hinders regular commitment to education or work experience

• Perceived & real benefits gaps also prevent service users going into work

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Key Aim

“The key aim of our Skills and Employment Strategy is to help more homeless people to get the skills and self confidence that they need to become employable, move into and be successful at work as a key element in gaining independence.”

Programme Elements

1. Activities

2. Advice & information

3. Work experience & vocational skills

4. Job search

5. In work support

6. Employment for service users

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1. Activities

• Meaningful activities—usually in our hostels

– Social (Games, trips)

– Skills (Cooking, IT)

– Creative (Music, Drama)

– Fitness (Gym, swimming)

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2. Advice

• Advice & information, backed by guidance & support

• Lead to action planning

• Literacy & IT support

• Employability skills (eg problem-solving, time-keeping)

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3. Work experience & vocational skills

• Volunteering

• Painting & Decorating

• Brickwork & Plastering

• Carpentry

• Gardening

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4. Job search

Carried out at Rushworth St. Training

Centre-

• CV writing

• Financial Assistance

• Interview Skills & Practice

• Job applications

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5. In work support

• In work support

• Self–employment support

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6. Employment for service users

• St Mungo’s has a commitment for 8% of its staff team to be service users. It has reached 4%

• We employ around 15 apprentices, from former service users annually.

• Members of Outside In, the service user participation group, receive training & gain volunteer status

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Programme Numbers

• Activities 799

• Advice & information 330

• Work experience/

vocational skills 131

• Job search 215

• In work support 150

• Employment for service users 35

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Issues

• Funding, funding, funding……..

• Private sector taking lion’s share of the employment contracts & are likely to cherry pick higher achievers

• Colleges still not doing very much

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Answers ?

• Trust funds--Mungos’ raises £2 million a year.

• More links with RSLs on what ? …

Apprentices? Care sector staff ?• Better partnerships with prime

contractors on Government funded schemes

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