Homelessness and self-employment

Surviving homelessness takes resourcefulness, independence and tenacity… exactly the same skills it takes to be successfully self-employed.

However, the majority of employment services direct homeless people towards the bottom entry level of the labour market as the primary option for moving on. Yet, as in all sections of society, there is a significant minority of homeless people who are more likely to succeed if working for themselves than for someone else.

Led by Groundswell UK in partnership with Cardboard Citizens, Enterprising Solutions was an innovative project which aspired to offer the appropriate support that would see people with experience of homelessness overcome the obstacles to making a successful transition into self-employment.

The Delivery Model

The project offered training opportunities in two different vocational skill areas that are conducive to freelance work - performing arts (Cardboard Citizens) and training and research skills (Groundswell UK). Additionally, participants were trained together in business, enterprise and management skills, which are vital to successfully operating as self-employed.

Through working with a business support agency all participants passed through a six month test-trading phase. This enabled them to experience work and earn money, with the safety net of still receiving benefits.

The only government test-trading schemes that currently exist operate under very strict guidelines, and are inappropriate for homeless individuals. However, with the sanction of the Jobcentre Plus Business Development Team, the project was given license to create its own test-trading scheme. This unprecedented innovation has allowed homeless customers from different benefit offices, claiming different benefits for different amounts of time, to come together under the same scheme.

20 individuals successfully took part in the test-trading scheme, allowing them to pilot self-employment in a safe and supported environment

A participant network was created to offer everyone an opportunity for peer support, to overcome the isolation that can be a critical factor for self-employed people

The project is now supporting participants to leave benefits behind them and become fully self-employed.

Toolkit and Good Practice

Groundswell's Evaluation Report (743 Kb) of the project gives lessons learned and advice on running similar projects as well as testimonies of participants.