At Thames Reach, we believe that no one should need to sleep on the streets, and of course, we support the London Charter to End Rough Sleeping. It’s worth explaining why we think that this is important, and not just a another way for charities that work with people affected by homelessness (including Thames Reach) to speak out around Christmas as the window of public sympathy opens – albeit briefly. 

For us, there are three things that are different about the Charter: 

1. It asks us to recognise that people who sleep rough are people who can’t be defined by their housing situation. 

They all have their own stories, and their homelessness is a part of their story that they and we hope will be in their past.  I’m uncomfortable when people talk about the homeless or rough sleeping ‘community’ as if street homelessness is some sort of quasi village, that is united by a similar backstory, and who we expect to stay on the streets as a way of life.  Equally (depending on your point of view) the idea that homeless people are solely either victims or perpetrators of crime is clearly untrue and serves to exclude them from mainstream society and possibly the protection of the law that the rest of us expect.  

2. The Charter recognises that members of the public aren’t helpless. 

At one level they can donate to and volunteer with charities that work to help people away from the streets; they can use Street Link to make sure people sleeping rough get help; and they can recognise that we don’t have to have street homelessness, which leads to my final point. 

3. At Thames Reach, we aren’t arrogant enough to think that we can end street homelessness on our own. 

This a systemic problem that we believe is bigger than any charity.  While we can join up services and play a significant part- this is a complex issue that needs the mechanism of government at local and national level to work together.  This charter and your support for it makes the difference between government seeing homelessness as a problem that is tolerable, and one that they are under pressure to resolve.  

Please sign the Charter and show that you think that we shouldn’t accept that people needing to sleep on the streets is just the way things are, and show that you believe we can and should do what we need to do to end street homelessness. 

In a collaborative effort led by Bloomberg and supported by the Mayor of London, the London Charter to End Rough Sleeping has been officially launched today—7th December 2023.

To mark the launch, our Chief Executive, Bill Tidnam, participated in an event at St John’s Church in Waterloo, to sign the charter alongside the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and representatives from more than 40 organisations.

The Charter aims to unite individuals, businesses, faith groups, charities, and public bodies in the shared mission to eliminate rough sleeping in our city. It represents a public commitment, a pledge to strengthen partnerships, and an opportunity for diverse communities to actively contribute to a solution.

Thames Reach wholeheartedly supports the Charter and had the privilege of being involved in its planning process.

Bill emphasises, “We shouldn’t be prepared to accept that people needing to sleep rough on the streets of London is inevitable. At Thames Reach, we work day and night to help people off the streets and to prevent them from becoming homeless. We can’t do this alone; we need the support of the people and businesses that live and work in London. Please show that you believe that things can be different and sign up for the Charter to End Rough Sleeping in London.”

By signing the Charter, individuals, businesses, and organisations make a real impact. It keeps the issue in the spotlight, showing policymakers that many care about ending rough sleeping in London.

Whether you’ve been a committed advocate or are new to the cause, your support goes a long way. Visit the Charter website to sign up, make a pledge, donate, or volunteer. Every small action adds up to the collective effort to end rough sleeping in London.

Literacy, including digital literacy, is now more critical than ever in enabling people to lead fulfilling lives, as even basic tasks like accessing benefits or communicating with healthcare professionals require a certain level of literacy skills. We know through our own programmes that people coming to us for help with apparently more ‘urgent’ needs such as paying rent or preventing eviction, often struggle with an underlying lack of essential skills including literacy. 

Despite the critical importance of literacy, the need for support isn’t always adequately met within traditional educational settings, particularly in colleges that may not be structured to address the unique challenges of individuals with difficulties or traumas related to learning. 

Literacy100 is a vital organisation addressing the pressing issue that an estimated half of those with experience of homelessness struggle with literacy skills.  

Recognising literacy as a fundamental human right, Thames Reach fully supports Literacy100’s recently published Charter for Adults with Experience of Homelessness. The Charter outlines essential expectations to empower individuals with experience of homelessness through literacy, including: 

– Community Support: Access to local options for developing reading and writing skills and enriching experiences through shared reading activities. 

– Organisational Commitment: Homelessness and housing organisations must recognise and address literacy needs as a core part of their work, providing access to technology for literacy enhancement. 

– Education Support: Learning providers should allocate skilled teachers, flexible provisions, and sustained support for learners with literacy challenges, including specific learning difficulties. 

– Policy Advocacy: National and local policy-makers should prioritise addressing literacy needs and allocate resources accordingly. 

“Not being able to read and write is both a cause and a symptom of homelessness. It is a barrier to recovery and being able to move on with your life after homelessness.  

Our dedicated Employment and Skills team works to help the people who use our services to build these essential skills, but our resources are limited, and this isn’t something we can do on our own.  We need access to dedicated local resources as well as funding to continue to provide the support we do. 

We support the Literacy 100 Charter and call on others to do the same, and to support the people we work with to get the help they need to take control of their lives and participate in society.”

 – Bill Tidnam, Chief Executive at Thames Reach

Join us in championing literacy as a transformative force for individuals with experience of homelessness. Learn more about Literacy100’s Charter and their impactful work by visiting their website.

Thames Reach are delighted to have been selected as one of Lloyd’s of London Foundation’s partners for 2023. This selection was made after a vote by employees at Lloyd’s, resulting in a £50,000 grant to support financial resilience and digital skills training for people at risk of homelessness.

Thames Reach have been selected on the basis of fulfilling the Foundation’s criteria, including: supporting people and communities directly, demonstrating long-term sustainability, and supporting groups that are at risk and hardest to reach.

Our Employment and Skills team help the people we work with to move towards suitable employment by developing essential skills and finding sustainable jobs, thereby ensuring they can afford their rent, pay utility and food bills, and ultimately keep their homes, ever more so, during the current cost of living crisis. With this grant, the Employment and Skills team will be able to help 2,000 people this year.

Thames Reach’s Employment and Skills programme includes the following strands:

• Financial Resilience and Digital Inclusion: IT training and equipment to ensure the people that we support have the skills essential for the day-to-day activities of everyday life.
• Information Advice and Guidance: to help a person to establish their goals, objectives and aims (keep a roof over their head, pay the bills, train and develop skills, and seek employment).
• Access to Training including English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL): over 50% of the people currently sleeping rough in London are non-UK nationals and need to improve language skills in order to access work.
• Volunteering: we provide people with little recent experience of the workplace environment, an opportunity to volunteer with appropriate support and training to build confidence, self-resilience, workplace skills which are a precursor to a pathway into employment.
• Job Brokerage: we provide job brokerage with employers, as we help people prepare to move into work, including interview preparation, work placement, and matching people with supportive job offers.
• Step Up: we provide those already in work with support to increase their income and job security.

Bill Tidnam, Chief Executive at Thames Reach, said: “We are delighted to be one of Lloyd’s of London Foundation’s charity partners for this year. This generous support will allow us to expand our work preventing homelessness, by helping people to maintain their tenancies, develop skills, find work, and gain confidence. By providing digital skills and financial resilience advice to almost 2,000 people, we will be able to work towards closing the social and digital exclusion gap, and help people manage their own lives successfully.”

Zorina Begum, Area Manager for Employment, Skills and Prevention Services at Thames Reach said: “It is a privilege that Lloyd’s employees have chosen Thames Reach as one of their Foundation charity partners of the year. We very much look forward to the many opportunities to work with Lloyd’s employees as volunteers to support the delivery of our skills and employment homelessness prevention work, for instance as mentors to our service users, supporting with CV writing and interview skills.”

For editors:

Thames Reach is a charity based in London, supporting people facing homelessness through prevention, response, and recovery. The charity specialises in helping people with complex and multiple needs, including mental health and drug and alcohol use. It manages a range of services, including street outreach, frontline hostels, day services, specialist supported housing and employment and skills schemes. Thames Reach’s mission is to assist homeless and vulnerable adults to find decent homes, build supportive relationships and lead fulfilling lives. thamesreach.org.uk

The Lloyd’s of London Foundation is the independent charity founded and funded by Lloyd’s. We partner with people and charities to build resilient communities.

Society needs resilience more than ever: the ability to bounce back from unexpected events and prepare for a more sustainable, inclusive future.

That’s why we are working to empower and embolden communities through tangible action and long-term partnership.

We channel the resolve, relationships, and resources of the Lloyd’s market to open doors and drive real change for people around the world – instilling confidence and unlocking independence. www.lloyds.com/foundation

Last year, we happily revealed that we were working in partnership with Hubbub and Virgin Media O2 to lend tablet devices to people we work with across Thames Reach. Recipients, many of whom are in hostels and temporary and emergency accommodation, have access to the device, apps and six months of free calls and data, thanks to the partnership.

Managed by the Essentials Skills team at Thames Reach, there has been a hugely positive response from the scheme, which is currently in its pilot stage. Angie* and Kamil* have both received a tablet on the Tech Lending Scheme, and are gaining further independence.

Angie is in her fifties and a resident at one of Thames Reach’s hostels. She has a history of mental health support needs and drug use, both of which she has been receiving support for during her time in the hostel. Back in September 2022, she received a tablet from the Tech Lending Scheme, and said she intended to use the device for music and games. Angie is a big character, and a prominent figure within the hostel, and has proven to be a big advocate of the Tech Lending Scheme, role-modelling positive behaviour and results to other residents. Staff have remarked how peer-to-peer advice is often the most powerful intervention, and resonates with Angie’s fellow residents. She has used her own tablet to help cope with difficult periods of mental health, describing listening to music via the device as a coping strategy. When contacted by Tech Lending Hub staff for feedback, she said, “I’m loving it. I use it 24/7. I’m really grateful for the opportunity to have one.”

Kamil is a Polish national in his forties who has been residing at our night shelter since early October 2022. He has limited English language proficiency, and a history of physical ill health. He was loaned a device by Thames Reach within his first week of moving into the shelter, and immediately started using it to make positive progress, including attending an online ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) classes twice a week. He uses his tablet to complete online homework set by his ESOL tutor, as well as additional study outside of class, which will contribute to future independence. When Kamil needed to visit hospital at the end of October, he was able to use the Voice-to-Text Google Translate feature on his tablet to liaise with doctors about the problem he was experiencing, allowing him to receive the right treatment. Staff at the shelter have remarked that Kamil has been using the tablet to provide peer support to other residents, hoping to embed digital skills for others who have received tablets through the Tech Lending Scheme.

*names have been changed for confidentiality purposes

Can you introduce yourself and your professional background? 

I started as a volunteer in 2008 when I first moved to this country. I was looking for work and applying for jobs, and had a background in publications in India. During an interview, the interviewer suggested I try some volunteering to gain experience here, so I joined an organisation that helps people obtain volunteer placements, and they soon hired me for a paid position, helping people through the process I had experienced. I learned everything from scratch. Since then, I have really enjoyed working with volunteers and helping people get the placement that is best suited for them; I have developed volunteer programmes, practices, and procedures. Understanding what makes a good volunteering experience is a big learning experience, and an exciting one. 

What do you enjoy most about working with volunteers? 

One of the main reasons I love working with volunteers is that I understand that everyone has a reason for volunteering, the same way I did when I first started out. I make sure volunteers and teams alike ask themselves what it is they want to achieve. Corporate groups volunteering with us gain experience of working in a team as well as leadership skills, and empathy and compassion towards different issues and causes. It’s real life and career experience. Young people, or someone at the start of their career, can learn things that they don’t teach in schools – for example I worked with someone who was training to be a doctor, but charitable work taught essential caring skills that aren’t in textbooks. I really enjoy seeing people grow in their roles too; sometimes people will arrive with little confidence, and then build it while volunteering.  

Aside from the life and career experience you’ve just mentioned, what do you believe to be the other benefits to volunteering? 

The personal and professional development shouldn’t be underestimated. These placements provide the opportunity to integrate into the community in a way that can be difficult otherwise, especially in London. You can really feel part of something positive and develop a good understanding of culture and people in our communities. Particularly in Thames Reach roles, there is a good opportunity to empathise with people.  

Can you tell us about the volunteering roles currently available at Thames Reach? 

The most popular and always in demand are outreach roles. Thames Reach are best known for outreach across London, and these late-night shifts always need volunteers to support staff in finding and recording people sleeping rough, before helping them off the streets. People should commit to one shift per month, but are welcome to do more if they would like.  

In our Employment and Skills team, we are looking for volunteers to assist the process of guiding people through the process of getting back into work and identifying strengths and weaknesses. For these roles we require a commitment of at least three months, ideally six months, as the people we work with need consistency, and we need people who are passionate about helping others and contributing to our vision of ending street homelessness.  

Larger groups such as corporates are always welcome; we see them regularly returning to get involved with projects such as gardening at our hostels.  

What are your plans for the volunteering programme? 

I will be making sure we are able to define the volunteer journey, making outcomes easier to identify and making a strong connection between the team and the volunteer so that everyone is gaining what they need from the placement. I will also be looking to increase the number of volunteers we have and look at pathways into employment from our volunteers especially those with lived experience.

I am working on making sure all application forms are digital and fully accessible, while also acknowledging that digital literacy is not a given, so there will be support available to make sure anyone who wants to volunteer with us is able to make that application.  

 I will also be working collaboratively with peers in the charity sector to raise the profile of the benefits of volunteering with us, with the ultimate aim of increasing our volunteer numbers and ensuring a positive and fulfilling experience for all involved. 

Now that a cost-of-living crisis is firmly upon us, we are all thinking about managing our money better. Romoke is Thames Reach’s financial resilience worker, and she provides advice for people in a range of circumstances, ultimately with the goal of preventing street homelessness.

‘Financial resilience’ is a phrase that could potentially mean a few different things. How does it work in practice?

My role as Thames Reach’s financial resilience worker involves supporting people with resolving issues around their financial situation, which are often around benefits, reducing risks of eviction and maximising income through claiming different types of benefits. Some people I work with are facing situations that are new to them, perhaps they are coming out of hospital, so are having to claim for the first time, and need advice.

People are often referred to me through our work with the Lambeth Living Well Network Alliance, who provide mental health support, so when people are on their recovery journey and going back into work, they may need help managing their income. During the lockdowns when many people were made redundant, some turned to low-paid work, so within the Employment and Skills team we help people find more suitable and sustainable employment.

Financial resilience could also look like more structured advice, as we deliver workshops on some of the things I’ve discussed, so we can reach more people. This enables people to be more knowledgeable about managing money. We’ve had really positive feedback from these sessions, showing that they are beneficial to helping people become more independent. At Thames Reach, we work with a range of people in different circumstances, for example people in supported housing may need help with working out how to pay rent and various charges, and having this knowledge is an up-skill for when they move into more independent accommodation, so they don’t feel overwhelmed.

What are some of the common challenges facing that people you work with?

My role is based within the Employment and Skills team, so we work with people across supported housing and the [Lambeth Living Well Network] Alliance, which means people are facing issues with various things alongside their finances, such as housing or mental health.

It is the barriers that are preventing people from entering work that we need to look at, such as debt issues. It’s important to be able to provide support for the things that are causing the financial instability, so I’m able to refer to colleagues, as there is expertise to address these needs. With the cost-of-living crisis, I am receiving more referrals of people in full-time work who need advice on saving money, information on which grants might be available for utility costs, and people with families.

How are you able to support people when financial instability is causing mental health and wellbeing issues?

 Money issues and wellbeing issues are becoming more linked. When I meet with people, they are talking about their mental health in the context of having financial trouble. Sometimes people are already receiving support for their mental health, but sometimes I can refer them to services, as although they are linked, financial resilience practices aren’t a replacement for mental health support. It’s interesting that people seem to be more open to talking about emotional responses to financial situations. Being open when talking about money allows me to give the right advice; I have had feedback that people feel more empowered and in a better position to move forward once they have received some guidance.

How do you think your work will evolve in the coming months?

It’s important that I can still provide advice and reassure people through these difficult times. With the merging of benefits into the Universal Credit package, we will continue to work with other teams in Thames Reach to ensure this information is circulated. I am expecting to see changes to things such as benefits and debt management, but we are watching the situation closely so we can still give the best advice.

“I joined Thames Reach through the Traineeship in 2011. Having worked in organisations before which were more focused on policy and lobbying government, I was keen to get some experience of front-line support work. I was attracted to Thames Reach as a very practical organisation and hoped the Traineeship would give me a way in to the sector. I started in Stamford Street, as it was then known, and then moved to another hostel, Graham House, for my second placement. I found the Traineeship to be a really positive experience, a good mix of being thrown in at the deep end and getting support and guidance from the people I worked with. I learnt from my mistakes and saw the creative and consistent work done by our organisation first hand, often shadowing more experienced colleagues. I was able to stay on after my Traineeship ended, getting a job in the Graham House team, and have worked in a few of our different projects over the years, leading to my current job as the area manager for hostels. I think the Traineeship is a great opportunity for anyone looking to start their career in the sector, and I look forward to seeing who applies for this year’s scheme as a member of the interview panel.”

The deadline for this year’s Traineeship programme has been extended to 20 February. Click here for more details and how to apply.

Can you tell us about how the Employment and Skills team are helping people Thames Reach are already working with?
We are always looking to increase the numbers of people we work with, and offer a range of support such as basic skills training, which includes digital literacy, traditional literacy and English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). We have a job broker in our teams who can set people up with employment; we have strong relationships with many employers, especially in construction, hospitality, retail, and security sectors. We acknowledge that not everyone will be ready to go straight into a new job, and many people will have gaps in their CVs where life experiences have taken place, so we can also help people become job-ready, with CV support and interview preparation.

Once people are at that stage and in employment, we are also committed to helping people get better paid work, particularly meeting the London Living Wage. We often organise employer engagement events, where we invite employers in to meet potential candidates, so we can demystify the interview and recruitment process as much as possible. They are always popular and have been very successful. For those who may not be ready for work yet, we provide volunteering opportunities to help people gain confidence, experience and get into a good routine.

Why is it so important to work collaboratively with other Thames Reach teams?
Internal teams have good relationships with the people they work with, and know them really well; some of the work we do will be a brief intervention so that the individual can take that next step. It’s so important that the relationships of trust are maintained between the individual, their support worker and the Employment and Skills team. If we can understand the challenges and the barriers that are preventing people from moving forward, we can use the resources we have to help them in the most suitable way. We work with the TST (Tenancy Sustainment Team) a great deal, all outreach teams, and sometimes hostels. We also have a strong relationship with the EUSS (European Union Settlement Scheme) team, and a good track record of signposting people to the right service to complete successful immigration status applications. This is a vital part of the process of helping people avoid street homelessness.

Do you offer support to people with a range of needs?
When we have referrals from all different teams at Thames Reach, as well as the wider community, we work with a wide range of people; some may be currently sleeping rough and receiving support through outreach teams, while some people will be in secure housing. To maintain contact, we need to find out if they have access to a mobile phone. We work with an organisation called Community Calling to get people phones so that they can keep in contact with not only us and their support worker, but of course their wider support networks. We then need to know if they are available for work, when they last worked, and what kind of upskilling they might need. Even if people are staying temporarily in hostels, night shelters or hotels, without long-term fixed addresses, we can still help them into work. For some people without fixed addresses, they may have limited entitlement to benefits, so finding work quickly is important.

Our work lies in both preventing street homelessness and helping people recover from it. Getting people into work is not always straightforward and involves a lot of personalised support around improving confidence and self-esteem as well as skills. It is important that we facilitate up-skilling; sustainable work is one of the most important things in supporting people away from homelessness.

Thames Reach’s Employment and Skills team have just launched their new project Bounce Back, a service led by our in-house job broker.

This two-year project will see Lambeth residents aged between 18-30 who are not currently in employment or training get advice and offers for employment. The team are accepting applications on a rolling basis, as the project will be running until 2023.

Applicants will also receive a grant of up to £500 to support costs including food and travel.

Bounce Back is kindly supported by the Walcott Foundation.

Please contact Thames Reach’s job broker, Telixia, at telixia.inico@thamesreach.org.uk with any questions, or to apply.