OSW appoints new Chief Executive

OSW's current Chief Executive, Linda Butcher, will be leaving the organisation in August 2008. Linda has been involved with OSW since its inception: firstly, when it was an SRB1 project based in Central London TEC from 1995-99; then as a founding trustee when OSW became a charity in 1999; and more recently, as the Chief Executive since 2001. Linda widened our reach beyond London, to national and European levels; widened our remit beyond delivery and capacity building to include research, enterprise and influencing; and kept our focus on who our real customers are. We wish her every success for the future.

We are very pleased to anounce that Frances Mapstone will be joining OSW as our new Chief Executive in August. Frances was the head of Social Inclusion and Health at the Greater London Authority, and prior to that was Chief Housing Officer for Westminster City Council. Frances brings a wealth of experience to the organisation, and is well placed to lead OSW and our future work to support homeless individuals to achieve their goals and aspirations. We hope you will join us in extending a warm welcome to Frances when she takes up her post formally on 18th August.

[14/07/08]

OSW win the Research, Advice and Support category in the 2008 Charity Awards

OSW were presented with an award at this year’s prestigious Charity Awards. The nomination was for our Tackling Multiple Disadvantage in London by Improving Employability (TMD London) programme. TMD London was a three year programme of service delivery, research and policy development aimed at addressing the barriers faced by homeless people when trying to find employment. Although the programme was based in London, it has had a far wider impact, and has influenced policy and practice across the UK, and in Europe. The Charity Awards judges were looking for examples of excellence from which other organisations can learn. They felt that OSW was especially deserving of that recognition.

Left: OSW presented with the award – (L-R) Paul Winter (CEO of Leadership Trust – the sponsor), Carole Coulon (TMD London Programme Manager), Linda Butcher (OSW CEO) and Anna Massey (actress)

 

Daniel Phelan, organiser of the Charity Awards 2008 comments:

“The Charity Awards are a great illustration of how much fantastic work takes place within the sector.  This year, the Awards have recognised the wide range of charitable activity across the UK, with winning charities ranging in size from those with a couple of volunteers operating on limited resources to the largest household names.  What they all have in common is their ability to turn innovation, passion and vision into an effective project or organisation demonstrating considerable impact. OSW is a fantastic organisation, the award is thoroughly deserved and we’re delighted to congratulate them on their achievements.”

For more information about OSW's success at the Awards see the Charity Awards 2008 press release.

To find out more about the Charity Awards 2008 visit the Charity Awards website.

For further information contact Michael Fothergill on 020 7089 2732 or email at michaelfothergill@osw.org.uk 

[24/06/08]

Right Deal for Homeless People Launched

OSW has officially launched its new model of service delivery - The Right Deal for Homeless People - which draws on lessons learnt from our Equal pilots and other prgrammes.

The new model of service delivery for homeless people was launched at an event on 8th May 2008, including keynote speeches from David Freud, architect of DWP‘s welfare reform proposals, Fran Parry, Chair of the Employment Related Services Association, and Linda Butcher, OSW’s Chief Executive. This will now be followed up by an intensive dissemination programme in 2008, with an aim to influence key Government bodies to support a Right Deal pilot programme, which will enable us to test and evaluate our key recommendations to improve employability for homeless individuals.

Left: The Right Deal Launch - (L to R) Fran Parry, Michael Fothergill, David Freud, Linda Butcher.

At the Right Deal launch event, David Freud said:

“I particularly welcomed the emphasis on an individual approach that is in this report, because it seemed to me that if you’re tackling multiple disadvantages among people you must individualise, and it’s very difficult for general programmes to capture that ….. what is also interesting in here [the report] was the importance of the other categories, in particular health, skills, training and the housing component, so pulling all that in , in a coherent way, is a real issue for the state to get right.”

Download the Right Deal Report (2.7 Mb)

Construction photographs used in the report provided by kind permission of Tyneside Cyrenians.

Please visit the Right Deal page for further information on the new model, or alternatively contact Michael Fothergill on 020 7089 2732, or email at michaelfothergill@osw.org.uk.

[13/05/08]

2007 Annual Conference Report Published

OSW has published an in-depth report from its 2007 Annual Conference, ‘Tackling Multiple Disadvantage and Homelessness’. The report contains full details of all workshops and presentations from the day, as well as links to relevant resources.

Download the OSW 2007 Annual Conference Report (482 Kb)

Presentations, speeches, and a film from the day can also be accessed directly from the 2007 Conference page on this site.

[23/01/08]

OSW's 2007 Annual Conference Press Release

OSW's Annual Conference this year covered the theme of ‘Tackling Multiple Disadvantage and Homelessness’. It also celebrated, and showcased the findings from our ESF Equal funded project TMD London, the legacy from which will be our innovative new model of service delivery – the Right Deal for Homeless People. Attending the launch of the Right Deal was Caroline Flint, the Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform, who stated in her keynote speech that “Overcoming multiple disadvantage is a prime target for my Department, and it is about getting people into work, but it is also about progression in work too… which is absolutely vital, it is not just about achieving sterile targets.”

Linda Butcher, OSW’s Chief Executive, also stated in her speech that “…we should know that something like the Right Deal is too expensive to gain support and funding, but that’s not true. If services are delivered correctly, as we have proposed in the Right Deal, we are the cost effective, not the expensive option.”

Download the press release (24 Kb)

Download the Right Deal summary document (253 Kb)

[13/12/07]

OSW Conference 2007 - Tackling Multiple Disadvantage and Homelessness

This year's OSW Annual Conference took place on Thursday 6th December, at Central Hall, Westminster, London. We brought together over 125 significant individuals from agencies across the public, private and voluntary sectors. By showcasing findings from our ESF funded Equal programme, Tackling Multiple Disadvantage in London by Improving Employability (TMD London), we explored the intricate barriers and solutions of supporting people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to move into employment.

TMD London is an exciting programme that has been developing and testing innovative solutions to employment for homeless people since 2004. By drawing together a formidable partnership of key strategic and delivery agencies across London, TMD London’s aim has been to create an impact, and influence change. By communicating our findings, we plan to influence policy makers and front line practitioners in the adoption of good practice, allowing improvements to be integrated more widely into mainstream programmes.

Left: The conference venue, Central Hall, Westminster.

The conference saw the launch of our pioneering new model of service delivery ‘The Right Deal for Homeless People’. Drawing upon lessons learnt from TMD London and other projects, the model aims to identify what services need to be delivered (and how) to address the multiple barriers that homeless people face in trying to access sustainable employment, and identify how much they cost.

[11/12/07]

Dysfunctional, complex and stunningly complicated - What next for benefit simplification?

OSW has issued a press release highlighting the fact that the DWP's new Green Paper – In work, better off: next steps to full employment – has failed to address the need for simplification of the benefits system. Simplification of the welfare benefits system is absolutely vital, particularly to support those who are most disadvantaged into the labour market. But this is only if simplification is combined with well informed advice, given by suitably trained staff, and sufficient levels of in-work financial support to ensure people are helped out of poverty.

Download the press release (23 Kb)

[22/08/07]

Gaining Experience, Giving Time

OSW's EQUAL funded Active Futures Volunteer Development Project has just published “Gaining Experience, Giving Time: Homeless People and Volunteering”, a report looking at the experiences of 24 homeless people who have volunteered. The report explores the impact volunteering has on people’s lives, how people accessed volunteering roles, and how people were managed and supported as volunteers. The report’s recommendations look at how homeless people can be supported to find appropriate volunteer roles, and how volunteer involving organisations can improve the way they manage volunteers, to create more accessible and sustainable opportunities.

Download Gaining Experience, Giving Time Report (386 Kb)

[20/07/07]

National and local homeless charities call on Gordon Brown to renew commitment to end social exclusion

OSW and more than 100 other homeless charities, under the leadership of Homeless Link (the national umbrella organisation representing the UK voluntary homeless sector), have written to new Prime Minister Gordon Brown calling on him to renew Labour’s efforts to end the deep social exclusion of many homeless people.

Acknowledging the progress made by the Labour Government in reducing rough sleeping and other forms of exclusion, the groups point out that those left behind when targets were met are the most difficult to reach: people with multiple needs including addictions, mental health issues, challenging behaviour or a history of involvement in the criminal justice system.

The groups are calling for a renewed commitment to address social exclusion with measures explicitly targeted at homeless people with multiple needs.

The letter was published on 28th June 2007 in The Times. Click here to download a copy of the letter (149 Kb).

[11/07/07]

Enabling employment success for homeless individuals - Ten key policy messages

In 2006, Off the Streets and into Work commissioned Inclusion to undertake three linked research studies, as part of the Equal funded Tackling Multiple Disadvantage in London by Improving Employability (TMD London). The three research documents are:

• The costs and benefits of formal work for single homeless people;
• Employment success factors for homeless people with health conditions; and
• The role of housing providers in enabling homeless people's employment success.

Analysis of the research studies has resulted in the development of ten key policy messages.These reflect what effectively needs to be delivered to support homeless individuals achieve suitable and sustainable housing and employment, and will act as a conduit for influencing future policy and practice.

Download Ten Key Policy Messages (146 Kb)

[08/06/07]

Letter to Secretary of State for Work and Pensions regarding the David Freud review of the future of welfare to work

OSW, together with key partner organisations, has followed up on its earlier correspondence with John Hutton, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, this time highlighting the issues facing homeless individuals accessing sustainable employment, and how the Freud review will impact on this. The Freud report, entitled Reducing dependency, increasing opportunity: options for the future of welfare to work, puts forward proposals for a long-term process of transforming the Welfare to Work system.

Download a copy of the letter (87 Kb)

[15/05/07]

Making Work Pay for Homeless People

In 2006 OSW commissioned Inclusion to undertake research into the costs and benefits of formal work for homeless people (1.63 Mb). The research findings have now been developed into key policy recommendations (131 Kb), reflecting what changes need to be effected to make work pay for homeless people. OSW, jointly with Inclusion, have delivered the first of their presentations on the research findings to Leicester City Council's homelessness forum.

Left: Michael Fothergill of OSW delivering the research findings

If you are interested in receiving a presentation, or on any other issues regarding the research, please contact Michael Fothergill at michaelfothergill@osw.org.uk.

[23/02/07]

Letter to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions - European Social Fund (ESF) operational programme for England 2007-2013 - Impact on homeless and other disadvantaged individuals

OSW, together with a number of partner organisations, has sent a letter to John Hutton, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, from a cross sectoral perspective, highlighting the reduction of monetary allocation of ESF for 2007-2013 by 50%, and how that will impact upon service provision to disadvantaged individuals across England.

To find out more, and to see those partner organisations who signed up, download a copy of the letter (188 Kb).

You can also download the full consultation response (100 Kb).

[17/01/07]