» News » Blogs - Joe McLoughlin

The challenge of finding work or thinking about training may not be on everyone’s minds while they are seeking social housing or looking to transfer their home but a new demonstration pilot is seeking to provide a catalyst. Home Connections has been commissioned by the Greater London Authority to deliver enhanced housing options through promoting employment services to those registering for social housing. In the current climate an all too readily expanding group. It aims to exploit the opportunity and technology presented by choice-based lettings (CBL). The objective is to demonstrate how CBL schemes can be linked effectively to jobs and training services in order to tackle the challenge of worklessness among existing and potential social housing tenants, who may not use existing conventional routes to access employment services. The service seeks to reinforce and encourage ambition amongst home seekers to think about training and working.

At a time of deepening economic recession it is even more important to promote opportunities for re-training and skills development so that home seekers can be prepared to make most of new opportunities in a future upswing.

The project went live in November and so far across 4 councils and RSLs over 2,500 home seekers have engaged with the service by completing an online survey about employment services. Of this number, 1,500 are workless and over 1,000 of these homeseekers have requested help with jobs and training. We have had over 1,400 hits on the jobs pages (we serve 60% of London’s entry level vacancies through the site).

Detailed information advice and guidance is provided through the site and direct links are provided through to job brokerages and specialist agencies and those seeking help are being followed up and brought into existing services and provision. More information is available at www.home-connections.co.uk