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The website of Crisis, the homelessness charity, features a policy and research section at www.crisis.org.uk/page.builder/about_homelessness.html
This covers issues including learning and skills, and includes links to research reports.
Crisis has also opened a Learning Zone, offering qualifications through English, numeracy, personal development and introductory IT courses. It aims to enable people to gain new skills and self-confidence, and find learning enjoyable. For more details visit www.crisis.org.uk or call 0870 011 3335.
The Employability
Map is a tool produced by
the charity OSW (Off the Streets and into Work) to enable
organisations working with homeless people to assess with
their clients how ready they are for work. It means that
they can track their progression over time in areas such
as confidence and motivation, as well as their reading and
writing skills. Training in how to use the map is available.
For more information visit www.osw.org.uk/goodpractice/tem.asp
The New Horizons Service delivers one-to-one, home-based learning in literacy, numeracy and IT to residents of Cambridge Housing Society properties. Learners include benefit claimants, single parents, unemployed people and people working in low-skilled occupations. The service was developed in partnership by Cambridge Housing Society and Long Road Sixth Form College, whose staff devise and deliver the learning provision.
Provision is delivered in the learner's own home and tailored to meet individual needs, in order to enables access to learning among those who, because of geographical isolation, health problems, childcare responsibilities, low self-confidence or other factors, would not be able to join a class. Other support includes the offer of free laptop use; information about training and employment; and weekly tuition meetings arranged at times to suit the learner. Tuition continues until learners are ready to take a national test and all learners (except those who withdraw) do so. Transport and childcare costs are paid to enable the learner to attend the college to sit the test.
A full case study is available on the Niace website at www.niace.org.uk/Projects/RAP/casestudies/Cambridge.htm. The Cambridge Housing Society website is at www.cambridgehs.org.uk.
Homeless young people will be given more control over what
they learn in a curriculum designed by The Foyer Federation.
The curriculum, Outside In, replaces traditional reading,
writing and arithmetic with four alternative "Rs":
reflectiveness, resilience, resourcefulness and reciprocity.
The study programme, which is for people aged 16 and above,
is based on the principle of transformational learning. It
is designed to help young people develop a knowledge of what
is worth learning, what he or she is good at learning and
who to turn to for help, as well as how to face confusion
and identify the best learning tools. Colin Falconer, head
of learning and quality standards at the federation, said:
"We want to get away from our obsession with skills and
talk about learning. Achievement for some people is actually
standing still. And going backwards can be a learning experience."
The curriculum will have four phases: regaining equilibrium,
starting to move forward, making sustained progress and preparing
to move on. Each phase will have three sets of units focusing
on subjects including keeping safe and healthy, coping with
others and contributing to the community.
(Young People Now, 15 December 2004)
How the lives of over a million British children are blighted
by unfit housing is being highlighted by Shelter, the national
campaign for homeless people. One of the charity's key findings
is that the 8% of children living in substandard accommodation
lose out on a quarter of their schooling.
London primary school teacher Wendy Brown, who has worked
with Shelter,has seen the impact of bad housing on children:
"Reading, for example, takes concentration. If there
is no silence, you're in a room with four or five other children
and the TV is always on, or if it's freezing cold and damp,
you have no chance," she says.
Missing out on the basics early on can open a gap that is
extremely hard to close. Wendy Brown explains: "Poor
housing is associated with low literacy rates and low respect
for education. If you see peers or younger children overtaking
you, self-esteem comes into play. And once children define
themselves as non-readers, as a teacher you are working doubly
hard, because this isn't just a skills gap, it's an emotional
gap."
Adam Sampson, director of Shelter said: "What concerns
us is the permanent effect of living in temporary accommodation.
There are definite links between poor housing, educational
attainment and life chances."
There has not been enough investment in housing for two or
three decades, he says. In the short term, he adds the Government
must act quickly to aid those children who are already struggling,
using measures such as educational support services. The solution,
according to Shelter, is to double the number of affordable
homes being built in the country. That will be very expensive
admits Sampson.
(Guardian, 25 May 2004)
A project which gave rough-sleepers a taste of studying is
being set up as an example of how homeless people can be brought
into education.
A report has just been published about the success of the
Rolling Shelter Project, a nine-month scheme which finished
in September 2001. It was run by the City Literary Institute
in London and involved 23 arts-based workshops at six shelters.
Around 250 people enrolled on courses including photography,
creative writing and the performing arts. 70% completed their
course.
The project was led by a team of teachers who used unconventional
approaches to attract the students, including providing lessons
in the shelters' dining rooms. The support of shelter workers
was key to the success, said the report, Crossing the Threshold:
Successful Learning Provision for Homeless People.
It may become a template for those wishing to attract homeless
people into learning. It is said to have fostered better communication
between the charities and the education system in central
London, allowing rough sleepers to progress to mainstream
education.
The report states: Tackling homelessness successfully requires
more than just putting a roof over people's heads. Learning
has a key part to play in improving confidence, identifying
opportunities for change and helping homeless and socially
excluded people to stay off the streets."
Crossing the Threshold: Successful Learning Provision for
Homeless People is published by the Learning and Skills Development
Agency and the City Literary Institute.
(TES, 21 March 2003)
Around 100,000 children were homeless in 2001-02, causing
educational, behavioural and health problems, a new report
by Shelter reveals.
The number of children forced to live in temporary housing
in the 12 months to July 2002 was uncovered by analysing government
figures on homeless families. Researchers also studied 50
children in 21 families and found that the lack of permanent
accommodation severely affected almost every aspect of their
lives, from schooling to health. The resulting report, Where
is Home?, paints a disturbing picture of life in hostels,
B&Bs and shelters.
The study found that children in two-fifths of the families
were forced to move schools when they became homeless, and
over half of those were bullied for having no friends. Many
missed out on school or fell behind because they had nowhere
to do their homework.
Their health also suffered from insanitary conditions and
overcrowding - one family of six shared a single room - and
from a poor diet due to lack of cooking facilities.
Ben Jackson, Shelter's director of external affairs, said
that the Government's newly announced commitment to spend
more than £1.2 billion building homes needed to be aimed at
the 80,000 families currently in temporary accommodation.
(Guardian, 19 September 2002)
AIM, an adult education project run by the Quarriers charity
in Glasgow, helps the homeless to access mainstream education,
employment training and work skills on a one-to-one basis
at their hostel.
Tony, 20 and originally from Possilpark, left school at 16
and is homeless. Along with over a dozen other homeless youngsters
he joined a programme to improve core literacy skills. He
now hopes to do a course in pet care and open his own business
- he has a fondness for animals, as well as a strong affinity
with US rapper Tupac Shakur, and writes his own poetry. Others
on the course are preparing for further education.
Coleen Willoughby, adult literacy coordinator for the initiative,
said that while it is unclear how literacy and numeracy related
to people's reasons for being homeless, "we know that if they
improve their skills, they are in a much better, and definitely
more confident, position to access further education and employment.
Some of them preferred really structured programmes of learning
while others would not respond to that - they would run from
it.
"I frame the lessons around their interests, even though
I would like a little more structure. Tony, for example, is
passionate about Tupac Shakur and when he comes to the sessions
he brings more and more poetry, which we look at and identify
what kind of help he needs with words."
Ms Willoughby hopes that the project will be able to inform
the Scottish Executive about homeless learners.
(TESS, 26 July 2002)
Young homeless people will get the chance to learn and pass
on computer skills to thousands more disadvantaged members
of society in a scheme launched in March 2001 by the Foyer
Federation. More than 500 rough sleepers will be trained to
teach others seeking jobs, training or study, about the Internet,
email and other IT skills. Training will be offered in 49
Uplink centres situated in deprived areas.
(TES, 9 March 2001)
The Basic Skills Agency has produced a booklet aimed at those
working in housing organisations, associations, hostels, tenants'
groups, local authorities, foyers and homeless organisations.
This is an updated version of the guide published in 2000.
It provides statistics about adults' basic skills needs and
emphasises the link between poor skills and poverty, particularly
poor housing and homelessness. It points out how essential
reading and writing skills are to those seeking independent
accommodation who need to fill in forms, read letters from
housing departments, or sort out council tax and bills.
Improved skills leads to greater involvement and understanding
of rights and responsibilities so it is in the interests of
housing organisations to help tenants access learning. Tenants
may be more likely to contact the appropriate department for
help if they can read and use a handbook or directory confidently,
they may be more willing and able to express their opinions
in consultation exercises about potential developments. Rent
arrears might be avoided if tenants had better budgeting skills
or if they were confident about filling in forms. Tenants
might also make fewer demands on the time of front line staff
if they need less help in completing forms or having information
read and explained to them. Improved skills also help involve
parents with their children's learning and enables them to
participate more fully in the wider community.
The booklet includes practical suggestions as to how housing
organisations might support the basic skills needs of their
clients and includes organisations to contact.
For a free copy contact the BSA Admail
524, London WC1A 1BR Tel: 0870 600 2400 Fax: 0870 600 2401
or visit www.basic-skills.co.uk
Pollards Hill Housing Association (PHHA) has invested £3
million over 30 years in the Pollards Hill area to finance community
development ventures. Following a community audit, which assessed
residents needs relating to health, housing, crime, education,
and employment PHHA has initiated a number of projects. These
include working in partnership with Merton College, Merton Adult
College and the Employment Service to provide IT and basic skills
training, pre-vocational courses and holiday programmes for
adults. These partners have set up a training and development
group to determine needs and plan and manage provision. PHHA
funds an annual summer activity scheme for young people emphasising
art and sport. Youth development is considered a primary objective
of the community development programme. PHHA notes that unemployment
problems are strongly linked to poor education and training
and skills shortages. The Association has taken a holistic approach
to raising the level of expectation of young people, setting
up, for example, a youth development group from a range of youth
providers to make the most of arts, media, cultural and sporting
pursuits available for young people.
(from the NLT database)
A partnership between the housing and regeneration departments
of Newham Council, also combining the local careers and employment
service, has been helping tenants find work. It is thought that
a lot of people do not use the jobcentre, but are in contact
with a housing officer. The housing department would like to
reduce rent arrears, which may happen if more tenants are in
work. Two housing officers agreed to ask 800 tenants if they
wanted help finding work - the officers were given training
and laptop computers. Leaflets were put though doors and
home visits were arranged with interested tenants. Housing officers'
role was as signpost to more help and information such as childcare,
libraries, appointments with careers and employment officers
and further training. Newham is keen to extend the initiative
across the borough.
John Campbell, divisional director for housing and community
service said:
"We need to convince people we are there to help, not to bash
them over the head ... we want the housing department to offer
a lot more, to link up to the neighbourhood management debate
and to help reduce social exclusion."
(New Start, 16 June 2000)
Tom Tithrington, director of Hyde Plus writing in New Start,
28 April 2000
A housing association has become a key partner to a Stockwell
school in a single regeneration budget project. Hyde Plus,
the community development arm of Hyde Housing Association,
was originally formed to address the employment needs of the
communities in which Hyde tenants live. It has progressed
from developing advice and guidance for adults to working
with schools and has worked extensively with Deptford Green
High School on mentoring and truancy. Skills were learnt along
the way:
First, don't think you are an educationalist - but don't
shirk at asking difficult questions. Second, find the movers
and shakers - whether they're the headteacher or the
chair of governors. Build contacts with the local education
authority and attend functions at the school.
Connecting Stockwell has forged a positive relationship with
the school. It is funding several projects and paying for
six full-time learning support assistants to raise standards
of literacy and numeracy, and to improve pupils' social and
study skills.
(New Start, 28 April 2000)
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