The bottom line: Developing help for the homeless

3xE Network is a four-year project financed by the Big Lottery fund. It helps homeless organisations to develop social enterprises to create work and training opportunities for their clients. The project is managed by homelessness charity, ‘Off the Streets and into Work'.

3xE spreads the message throughout the homelessness sector that social enterprise can create work and training opportunities for homeless people. The project provides business support, gathers and disseminates good practice, links homelessness sector organisations to social enterprise infrastructure support across England and sends messages back from the grassroots to policymakers.

Getting homeless individuals into employment is a key element to rebuilding lives. Many are eager but simply not ready to compete in the labour market, facing a variety of challenges from financial matters to personal issues. Social enterprises place equal emphasis on the viability of the business and its social outcomes – they know that embedding support into the working environment is critical to success for their clients as well as the business.

They will typically offer their workers personalised advice and guidance addressing practical matters such as moving out of hostels, benefits, financial inclusion (setting up a bank account) and debt management. They can also provide support with personal issues such as friendships, family relationships and substance abuse. Social enterprises, such as Aspire Oxford, create a supportive environment where disadvantaged or vulnerable people can improve their confidence, adapt to a working routine and learn the skills to help them gain employment.

Whether as an intermediate step towards work or providing permanent employment, social enterprises are proving that they have much to offer homelessness charities: Emmaus communities provide work and a home for people who are homeless; 25 per cent of Connection Crew's workforce are drawn from Connection at St Martin's (a homeless hostel in central London) and special arrangements are made to introduce them gradually into the workplace, forestalling possible problems; Crisis and Novas Scarman employ vulnerably-housed residents in their cafes, providing work experience, training and confidence-building in a safe and supported environment.

There is still more scope for the homeless sector to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the social enterprise model. 3xE can help with accessing business expertise and linking with other organisations already running successful social enterprises.

3xE offers consultancy grants, funds for training, short training placements, tailored learning visits and other services which can be flexible according to Members' needs.

Apply for free membership at www.3xe.org.uk