Not Another Network...?
28 July 2010
Sometimes it can feel like there are as many networks, sub groups, forums etc as there are services. In these times of cuts and uncertainty the advantage of networks is that they can offer focus, collective strength, access to resources and opportunities for sharing knowledge, experience and good practice.
The Scottish Homelessness & Employability Network (SHEN) aims to do just that. SHEN is funded by the Scottish Government to ensure that there is an ongoing focus on employability as a route out of homelessness. SHEN has a wide range of subscribers from, for example, frontline homelessness agencies; employability deliverers; local authorities; NHS practitioners; and substance use agencies. People experiencing homelessness are often those furthest from the labour market in terms of the additional and or/systemic barriers that they can face. Having a network dedicated to highlighting both these issues and possible solutions to them ensures that the employability needs of homeless people are kept high on the Scottish Governments’ agenda
If you work within homelessness in any capacity then you are in a position to influence someone’s journey to work, and if you work within specialist employability services, then you are likely to encounter people who are homeless in the course of your work.
SHEN undertakes a variety of activities to ensure that subscribers and other interested parties have access to information and opportunities to support this journey to work:
- Organisation and facilitation of both regional and topic driven events
- Development of tools and resources such as a national employability toolkit
- Delivery of training to homelessness and or/employability workers
- Newsletters highlighting projects and practice across the country
- Convening of an Annual Forum
- Commissioning of research
- Joint work with other national homelessness networks such as Youth, Social Networks and User Involvement
- Organisation and facilitation of study tours
- Support to pilot projects
- Dissemination of relevant policy
If you would like to find out more about SHEN or to subscribe or be added to the mailing list then please contact
clare@scsh.org.uk.