Homelessness to Employment, 10 March 2009, London

From engagement through to employment, this conference will guide you through the spectrum of activities that help homeless people move on with their lives.

Involvement in meaningful activity can equip an individual with the skills, motivation and ‘personal space’ needed to address the problems that have led to their homelessness. They can rebuild self-esteem, personal relationships and quality of life. Informal learning activities can also lead to wide ranging improvements in mental and physical health for homeless people. For others who are more ready to move on, structured training and education courses can help them gain the skills they need to operate in the job market and find sustainable employment.

Please click here for further information or to book your place. Please note we are currently offering a 10% early bird discount on all bookings before 31.12.2008.

Communities Ending Rough Sleeping: regional seminars about the new rough sleeping strategy

On 18 November 2008 Communities and Local Government announced a commitment to ending rough sleeping ‘once and for all’ in the launch of the strategy No One Left Out - Communities Ending Rough Sleeping.

Homeless Link is hosting a series of seminars on this new strategy, on behalf of Communities and Local Government, in January and February 2009. At each event there will be a selection of presentations and discussions from Communities and Local Government, Homeless Link, and local providers. There will be an opportunity for sub-regional discussion groups to look at how the strategy can be implemented to help tackle rough sleeping locally.

There will be one seminar held in each English region.

Please see our flyer or click here for further information and to book your place.

Making Every Adult Matter, 2 December, London

This conference is concerned with improving the outcomes for service users who have complex and multi-faceted needs. Often they fall just under the threshold for services and do not fit easily into conventional treatment patterns. They cross between drug and alcohol services, homelessness provision, prison and the criminal justice system, mental health and acute health services. They experience poverty, poor physical health and are serially excluded from public services and most employment and training activity.

Inspired by the growing understanding that public policy is not working for this group; Homeless Link, Clinks, Drugscope and Mind have come together to take cooperation forward and to seek solutions across Government and practice for this group.

Please click here to BOOK YOUR PLACE ONLINE at the conference or PLEASE CALL 020 7960 3032 or EMAIL: kate.alaway@homelesslink.org.uk

PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE ARE JUST A FEW PLACES AVAILABLE AT THIS CONFERENCE.

Please click here for further information or here for a copy of the conference flyer .

Signs of success, 21 October, London

Using soft outcomes to improve homelessness services and demonstrate impact

It is important that the voluntary sector demonstrates its impact. Outcomes measurement enables us to show the value of our services to commissioners and funders, but also to help service users recognise their progress and achievement. Combining the Government perspective with the cutting edge of practice, this conference cut through the complexity and helped to provide simple solutions to help service managers and commissioners make evidencing success a reality within the homelessness sector.

Please click here for further information and copies of the conference presentations.

Connecting with communities, 8-10 July 2008, University of Warwick

Local Solutions: National Impact

Homeless Link Annual Conference 2008

This flagship event in the Homeless Link conference calendar was essential for anyone interested in ending homelessness through social cohesion and community engagement. The conference focused on the community agenda and on ensuring that everyone in society, even those who are the most vulnerable and with the most complex needs, has an opportunity to play a significant role in the improvement of local communities.

Delegates heard about current government thinking on empowering citizens, building strong communities and the importance of this for homeless people and the homelessness sector. Good practice workshops included examples of how to effectively link up and access local services and how homeless people can play an active part in the development of their communities.

Featured

• launch of the good practice handbook on street outreach
• Iain Wright MP, Housing Minister
• informal networking session involving service users
• Long Lost, an exclusive preview of the play from the 1st Chance Theatre Group
• Grant Shapps MP, Shadow Housing Minister
• Homeless Link’s AGM
• New Rough Sleeping Strategy and Empowerment White Paper
• regional networking with other agencies over an evening drinks reception
• musical performance from Travelling Light
• international perspective – JoAnne Page, The Fortune Society, New York
• streamed programme of good practice workshops.

Please click here for more information.

Multiple exclusion Homelessness - improving the evidence base together, 25 June 2008, Crisis Skylight, London

Multiple exclusion Homelessness - a new research initiative

Following a proposal from the Homeless Link Research Forum, a groundbreaking new research initiative under the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) has been launched in partnership with the Housing Corporation, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Communities and Local Government, the Department of Health and Homeless Link (representing the voluntary sector).

The £680,000 fund available will focus on improving the evidence base around ‘multiple exclusion homelessness’ and is open to proposals from June 2008. Although all projects must have an academic lead there is a strong emphasis on involving the voluntary sector and people with experience of multiple exclusion homelessness in research proposals. Innovative new approaches and proposals from areas of academia that has not traditionally been associated with this area of work are also welcomed.

For further information about the initiative and the background to this work contact Linda Briheim-Crookall, linda.briheim-crookall@homelesslink.org.uk or click here.