Seminar to support homeless people Tuesday, March 16, 2010 - 18:44

Major agencies working with homeless peopcame together at a NIACE seminar - held on Wednesday 17 March, at Crisis in London - to discuss what opportunities informal adult learning can offer homeless people. Delegates were given the opportunity to evaluate current policy and to make suggestions for future policy development.

Engaging and supporting homeless people though informal adult learning -was chaired by Jacqui McCluskey, Director of policy and knowledge at Homeless Link. Other contributors included:

• Phil de Montmorency, Director of Work and Learning Services at St Mungos - speaking about the Inspirational Spaces Transformation fund project;
• Duncan Shrubsole, Director of Policy & External Affairs at Crisis and Margaret Philips, Head of Crisis Skylight London - sharing how informal adult learning is taken forward at Crisis;
• Richard Holmes, Project Manager at Crewe YMCA - speaking about The YMCA football and life academy Transformation fund project;
• Rachel Davies, Programme director at NIACE - Reading for pleasure and mental health service users;
• Viv Berkeley, Programme director at NIACE - From informal to formal: Making the QCF work for you; and
• Jonathan Hopkins, Interim Director of Policy & Participation at Centrepoint - is rounding up the seminar with some closing remarks.

Rob Gray, Senior Project Officer at NIACE, said:

"Mainstream learning provision is not always accessible for homeless people because it is often difficult for them to sustain the long-term commitment required of mainstream learners. Today's seminar illustrates how informal learning can offer opportunities for homeless people, to explore their abilities and develop their self-esteem, through learning that is flexible and relevant to their needs."

"The potential that informal learning has in supporting homeless people and other vulnerable adults is becoming increasingly recognised. This is evident through recent government programmes like the Transformation Fund and the Community Learning Champions Support Programme, which have provided funding for more provision and encouraged many new providers to get involved."

The seminar examined how informal adult learning can:

• help with the early engagement of homeless people;
• assist rehabilitation and promote health and wellbeing through the development of personal and social skills; and
• lead to mainstream learning, work and independence.