From Ambition into Action: Only A Pavement Away’s view on the National Plan to End Homelessness
The National Plan to End Homelessness states that “every part of government – from health to justice to education” must play a role in ending and preventing homelessness.
At Only A Pavement Away, we couldn’t agree more – although we’d add a few other Departments too. So many of the difficulties people recovering from or at risk of homelessness face stem from poor or non-existent communications between different arms of the state.
What Only a Pavement Away do
Only A Pavement Away work within and are funded by the hospitality industry. We help those who are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness, prison leavers, the survivors of Domestic Abuse, and those who have some form of neurodiversity, find careers in hospitality.
We offer a 2-year financial and emotional support post-employment. Prior to employment our Members will receive 1-2-1 coaching sessions and attend a 1-week programme in order to prepare them for work.
How we think the Government can deliver on its commitments
In the National Plan to End Homelessness, the Government commits to “an overall increase by the end of this parliament in the number of prison leavers in settled accommodation at 3 months after release and thereafter.” There’s also a welcome new commitment to do more to support veterans at risk of homelessness.
Ensuring people are able to secure work is absolutely key to delivering on these targets. And organisations like Only A Pavement Away are perfectly placed to help make this happen.
What needs to change
Our big frustration at Only A Pavement Away is to see those facing homelessness and wanting to work being hindered by bureaucracy and a lack of simple sign posting as to where careers can be found.
People encounter a system that is driven by targets. This leads, for example, to too much time being spent on how to compile a CV, rather than identifying the Attitudes and Behaviours that will help that person find employment.
No longer can Prison Leavers be released without accommodation, or given accommodation on the same housing estate from where they had previously become involved in criminal gangs who will be all-too-keen to exploit them again.
However recognition must be given to the PELs (Prison Employment Leads) who work tirelessly to help find stability for prisoners upon release. Focusing on giving these determined people the tools to do their job would be another big step towards turning some of the Government’s ambitions into action.
What needs to happen now
Two initial simple and easy remedies would be for the Government to work with small and medium size charities more and to ensure a more aligned communication strategy between Government departments. Charities working directly with people experiencing and at risk of homelessness have the skills and knowledge to plug those gaps in communication that too often leave people falling through the cracks.
A bigger task is to change the perceptions of the public. Too often we still hear the old stigmas like anyone sleeping rough is looking for a handout, that ex-prisoners can not be trusted, and that victims of domestic abuse have themselves to blame.
Government has a role in changing this too. But that is also a task for all of us in our day-to-day lives, to challenge those stereotypes wherever we find them.
Written by:
Greg Mangham
Founder and Voluntary Chief Executive
Only A Pavement Away
gregmangham@onlyapavementaway.co.uk
Interested in writing your own guest blog?
If you would like to write a short article on how the Government can turn the ambitions of the National Plan to End Homelessness into action, please get in touch. You can email our Campaigns Manger Stefan on stefan.donnelly@homelesslink.org.uk
