FROM EQUAL TO ENGAGE

1
FROM EQUAL TO ENGAGE

• Tracy McAfee
• Fundraising Manager
• Simon Community Northern Ireland

Employability Facilitating access and return to
the labour market for those who have difficulty
in being integrated or reintergrated into a
labour market which must be open to all.
2
HOMELESSNESS IN NORTHERN IRELAND

• 17,150 households presented as homeless to the
  Northern Ireland Housing Executive during
  2003/2004, an increase of 4 on the previous
  year.
• 8,594 households were accepted as homeless by the
  Housing Executive during 2003/2004.
• Family and relationship breakdown are the biggest
  single causes of homelessness in Northern
  Ireland, cited by over 40 of those presenting to
  the Housing Executive, last year.

(Source Northern Ireland Housing Executive)
3
Foyers and Simon Community Northern Ireland

• Simon Community Northern Ireland
• Simon Community Northern Ireland currently has
  accommodation and support units in 18 sites
  across Northern Ireland, including the Belfast
  Foyer. with an annual throughput of over 900
  individuals.
• Of these 900 beneficiaries, 55 are aged under
  25, with a gender mix of 31 male /female.
• On average service users stay within Simon
  Community accommodation for approximately 6
  months.
• The primary aims of Foyers are to1. establish
  safe and affordable accommodation in the UK's
  most deprived urban and rural communities,
  including many inner-city areas.2. support over
  5,000 disadvantaged and homeless 16 to 25
  year-olds each year, plus a further 5,000
  non-residents. Most are further disadvantaged
  through abuse, drug and alcohol misuse, truancy
  or school exclusion, crime and unemployment.3.
  deliver an holistic training programme which
  enables each young person to achieve social and
  economic independence through access to
  education, training and employment opportunities.

4
The Engage Programme

• Engage is the working name of the successful
  Equal application. With Simon Community Northern
  Ireland acting as lead partner.
• The project will have 2 key strands
• 1. The development and delivery of a learning
  programme accessible to residents of the four
  member Foyers.
• 2. A development programme for those staff who
  are supporting learners.
• The Foyer schemes provide an excellent platform
  for the implementation of this programme, given
  that the service users are required to
  demonstrate a commitment to training and
  development as a condition of their accommodation
  within the units.

5
ENGAGE STRUCTURE

• Development Partnership
• Lead partner Simon Community Northern Ireland
• Programme Manager
• Flax Foyer Strand Foyer
  Lurgan Foyer
  Belfast Foyer
• Programme Programme
  Programme
  Programme
• Officer Officer
  
  Officer Officer

Partnership comprises, Northern Bank, Open
Direct, Northern Ireland Housing Executive, City
and Guilds, Department of Employment and
Learning, Learning and Skills Development Agency
Northern Ireland, Foyer Federation, Lurgan Foyer,
Strand Foyer, Flax Trust/Flax Foyer, Belfast Foyer
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OUTCOME

• To prove the need for long-term sustainable
  funding for this Programme throughout Northern
  Ireland.