JOB OF THE WEEK: POLICY/SERVICE IMPROVEMENT MANAGER
11 March 2010

JOB: TRUSTEE – HOUSING SPECIALIST
11 March 2010

Hammersmith United Charities (HUC) TRUSTEE – HOUSING SPECIALIST HUC has two almshouses providing 68 sheltered flats on two sites. It will shortly add a further 24 high specification flats. The charity needs a trustee with the strategic vision and operational experience of affordable housing to guide and advise colleagues in what continues to be its core activity. Trustees would welcome someone with knowledge of and interest in Hammersmith. Full details can be had from: www.hamunitedcharities.org.uk or contact: Clerk to the Trustees clerk@hamunitedcharities.com 020 8746 2396. Further Links

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MAYOR ANNOUNCES FUNDING BOOST FOR HOMELESS
11 March 2010

Boris Johnson The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has announced a £900,000 funding boost to help hundreds of the capital’s homeless gain essential skills and get back to work. The Homeless to Work programme, funded by the Mayor through the London Development Agency (LDA), will see outreach teams working directly with homeless in London offering them opportunities to gain skills and training. The scheme will also target individuals with a history of rough sleeping to rebuild their lives off the streets. Working with the Mayor’s London Delivery Board, set up to end rough sleeping in the capital by 2012, it is hoped that the programme will help up to 600 homeless people get back to work and find a home. Johnson said: “A skilled work force is the backbone of London’s economic success and the key to our competitive edge. In these tough economic times it is absolutely essential that we maintain this valuable commodity and ensure that everyone, especially those who are all too often considered ‘unemployable’, can gain the skills they need to get a job. “Losing your home does not mean losing your talent or ambition and this new project will play a hugely important part in helping hundreds of London’s homeless get back on track and get back to work. ” The Programme complements the work of the Department of Works and Pension to get drug addicts, ex-offenders and homeless back to work. The £900,000 of funding has been specifically ring-fenced to provide a bespoke service for the capital’s homeless and will be the only part of the programme to use outreach workers to directly target those in need. Brendan Loughran, Director of Learning and Skills at the LDA said: “This joint approach is allowing us to bring together the expertise and knowledge of both the LDA and DWP to target a part of society that is often neglected by mainstream systems. Homeless Londoners represent a particularly hard to reach group of workless, many have drug or alcohol related problems or mental health issues. “The one to one support they’ll get from Homeless to Work will provide them with important tools to help them overcome many of the barriers to getting off the streets and into safe, secure accommodation and sustainable jobs.” Further Links

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WORK BEGINS ON NEW DAGENHAM HOMES
11 March 2010

Ground breaking ceremonies are being held at the first wave of Barking and Dagenham Council house new-build sites. Cllr Mick McCarthy, cabinet member for regeneration, and Cllr Phil Waker, cabinet member for housing, broke the ground at Highland Avenue in Dagenham, location of seven new houses. The turf will also be turned at King William Street, and Essex Road, Barking, and Rogers Road and Bromhall Road, in Dagenham. A total of 48 houses are planned across all sites. A further 15 houses are planned for Beamway in Dagenham and Charlton Crescent in Thames View, Barking. These developments form the second phase of building works. Also present at Highland Avenue were representatives from United House the contractor who will build houses at four of the sites. The contractor at King William Street Quarter, formerly known as the Lintons, is Mansell Partnership Housing. Preparation work has already started on most of the sites, and now that ground breaking has taken place it won't be long until building work starts in earnest. It is hoped that the first tenants will get their keys at the end of the summer. All the houses will be fully owned and managed by Barking and Dagenham Council and rented out to local families on the housing waiting list. Like all local authorities Barking and Dagenham has been prevented from building its own housing for more than two decades. Those rules changed last year and the council was quick to commit funds of its own and apply for a government grant to start building houses again. Cllr Liam Smith, Leader of the Council, said: "This is the first time in more than 25 years that we have been able to build new council housing, and we are determined to push on with an ambitious programme. "Our stock of council properties has gone done dramatically over the last 20 years - mainly because many tenants chose to buy them through the Right to Buy scheme. These 63 houses are the start of what we hope will be an even bigger programme to try and redress that balance and provide more houses for local families." Further Links

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SUPPORT AGENCIES AND L&Q WORK TOGETHER TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER
11 March 2010

Representatives from more than 50 specialist support agencies joined L&Q at a conference aimed at strengthening our relationships and exploring ways of helping each other through the complex and changing support environment. The Working together, supporting each other conference at the Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel in central London was organised by L&Q’s Agency Contracts and Quality Team. Representatives from the National Housing Federation and the Department of Communities and Local Government were also present, outlining the challenges ahead in the Support environment. There were also workshops on resident involvement, personalisation, procurement, housing law, and how L&Q and the agencies can work more closely to tackle future challenges. Sonia Bernard, Assistant Director – Communities, Partnerships and Support at L&Q, said: “L&Q remains committed to its vulnerable residents. Our relationships with the specialist support providers are crucial. “The environment we are working in is going through a period of unprecedented political and economic upheaval so it is more important than ever that we work together and support each to ensure that our vulnerable residents receive all the care and help they need. “This conference was a fantastic opportunity for us all to get together and discuss some of the key issues affecting us and look at ways of tackling them together. We had some great feedback from the people who came along and I’ve no doubt we will be able to work more effectively together as a result.” Virginia Metzner from the Single Homeless Project (SHP) said: “The conference was very interesting and it was good to spend time with other organisations and share information and experiences. The day was enjoyable and informative.” Margaret Coward from Life Housing said: “It was useful to meet other providers and see the range of services involved.” Further Links

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GENESIS HELPS YOUNG AND OLD UNITE TO FIGHT OBESITY IN EAST HAM
11 March 2010

The Golden Ambassadors with young people Fifteen young people from Priory Park Youth Centre have gotten together with five of Genesis Community’s Golden Ambassadors to take part in a pizza-making competition as a fun and creative way to highlight the importance of healthy eating. As well as baking, both groups discussed the problem of obesity in England and explored the links between it and poverty. While East Ham has the youngest population in the UK, it also has one of the unhealthiest. The abundance of fast food shops and ‘cheap eat’ options prove too tempting for many of the young people in the area. The Intergenerational Workshop took place at Priory Park Youth Centre, based in the heart of East Ham, and situated just behind the West Ham football stadium. It formed part of a project the youth centre has been running six months called Healthy Eating and Healthy Lifestyle. The project was awarded money by the Youth Opportunity Fund. Funding has helped them buy equipment and resources to make healthy and nutritious food – for example, the group have, in teams, made fruit smoothies, pizzas, tortilla wraps and ciabatta sandwiches. The group will now share their experiences with the Live East debate forum, with the view to engaging young people, (aged 16 - 30), in discussions about challenging topics that are relevant to them. The Golden Ambassadors shared with the Priory Park young people some of their experiences from the last year, including how they have been teaching primary school children to knit, and care home residents to use computers. The Priory Park young people will be learning to knit for Sport Relief and the Ambassadors learn new computer skills from the youngsters. Richard Bowyer, Springboard resident and Golden Ambassador, said “Being of an outgoing nature, I find it really easy to talk to young people, and join in with their events. I therefore relish opportunities like this one and am happy to support this project anytime I’m available. Hi fives to all!" Iain Mackechnie-Jarvis, Head of Genesis Community, said “Genesis Community promotes opportunities for life change among people in the communities in which it works in London and the South east. I’m delighted to see younger and older residents coming together at fun and creative learning events like this one.” Further Links

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NEWHAM RESIDENTS OPEN DOORS TO EMPLOYMEN
11 March 2010

Atricia Stiff Residents from Cranberry Lane estate in Newham are a step closer to securing a job, having graduated from East Potential’s Open Doors course. The course gives people the skills and confidence needed to look for a job, and it is being funded through the Families Together project. Open Doors supports unemployed people to overcome barriers which may prevent them from working. These barriers could be a lack of confidence, computer skills or having English as a second language. Participants are encouraged to work at their own pace and the focus is on establishing long term career goals, rather than just finding a job. The course is part of Families Together, a four-year project supporting families in Tower Hamlets and Newham, two of the most deprived boroughs in London, to break the poverty cycle. It aims to provide support to the whole family by engaging with schools to improve the educational achievements of local children and young people. It was awarded £800,000 of funding by London Councils. East Potential has been running Open Doors courses for three years and has high success rates: of the 59 people who completed the course last year, 40% went on to employment and 31% went into higher education. Led by East Potential Families Together is delivered in partnership with Poplar HARCA housing Association, Community Links, Bromley By Bow Centre, Limehouse Project and the Institute of Public Policy Research. Open Doors courses will run at Cranberry Lane and Aberfeldy estates twice a year for the next three years. Further Links

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HOUSING NEWS: JOBS AND TENDERS ROUND-UP
11 March 2010

Housing News is advertising the following jobs and tenders on its regional newsletters: JOBS Lune Valley RHA is seeking board members across north Lancashire and north Yorkshire. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northwest. Hammersmith United Charities is seeking a Trustee - Housing Specialist. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/london/job. West Kent Housing Association is seeking a Policy/Service Improvement Manager. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/london. Closing Date: March 18. The Northern Housing Consortium is seeking a Procurement Manager based in Sunderland, salary circa £31k + benefits. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northeast. Closing date: March 22. Almond Housing Association is seeking a Housing Manager. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 12. Almond Housing Association is seeking a Corporate & Development Administration Assistant. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 12. Almond Housing Association is seeking a Debt Recovery Officer [Part Time]. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 12. The Northern Housing Consortium is seeking a Chief Executive based in the North East, salary £108k + benefits. For more information, go to: www.housingnews.co.uk/northeast. Closing date: March 15. Melville Housing Association is seeking a Housing Assistant (Temporary). For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 12. Melville Housing Association is seeking a Property Manager. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: March 15. Tenders DGHP Ltd is inviting tenders for a new housing development. For more information, go to: www.scottishhousingnews.com. Closing date: April 12. To reach the best candidates in the social housing sector, advertise your top jobs in one of our eight regional newsletters or go national to over 40,000 readers. For more information, call Hucksters on 01892 784804. Further Links

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