Pledge 1
Offer employment and training opportunities to those at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
As part of our commitment to the partnership, Blue Arrow has signed the Crisis Homelessness Covenant. The Covenant, developed and launched by Crisis, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) in September 2023, is an initiative aimed at addressing homelessness in communities together with employers.
The covenant creates inclusive opportunities for job seekers who have experienced homelessness and helps employers adopt helpful work practices for those at risk of homelessness within their own workforce.
The Homelessness Covenant represents a collective commitment to supporting Crisis embodying our Pledges to:
Offer employment and training opportunities to those at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
Adapt fairer employment and recruitment policies and practices for people affected by homelessness.
End homelessness in communities through funding, awareness, partnerships, and volunteering.
1. Provide employment and training opportunities for people at risk of or experiencing homelessness
What this might look like ..
Provide jobs, work trials, work experience, placements, traineeships, and apprenticeships for people experiencing homelessness and those at risk of homelessness, including rough sleepers
Engage with our Employment Brokerage Service
Provide career and personal development support to enable employees to sustain their employment. This can include on the job training, access to courses, mentorship and progression opportunities.
Develop a wrap-around support package for new/existing employees i.e., dedicated HR partner, mentor, coach
Collaborate with referring partners to deliver wrap-around support
Feedback/improvement: engage with the Employment Brokerage Service/referring partner/Crisis to for feedback to make adjustments if needed
Measuring and reporting: share data with the Homelessness Covenant such as case studies or surveys to demonstrate changes that have occurred since implementing the Pledges
What this might look like ..
Adopt, or commit to work towards fair employment policies that prevent and end homelessness, including (based on the Good Business Charter commitments):
Pay the Living wage: Real Living Wage set out by the Living Wage Foundation
Fair hours and contracts: Either no, or work towards, zero-hour contracts
Employee wellbeing – including support for staff at risk of or experiencing homelessness: fair and transparent policies that support and encourage employee well-being eg Employee Assistance Programme, rent/deposit loan scheme, support for staff at risk of or experiencing homelessness
Employee representation: employee representatives that ensure employers have a voice
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion: employers to evidence that EDI is being monitored and data is analysed and is used to addressed issues related to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness
Mentorship and onboarding
Enhancing accessibility to jobs (using our employment brokerage service)
Offering guaranteed interviews to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness (if they meet the vacancy criteria)
Offering Work Trials
Eliminating bias
Demonstrating a commitment to inclusion (based on BITC’s inclusive recruitment campaign)
Policy review and revision: review current policies and practices
Inclusive job postings
Flexible applications processes
What this might look like ..
For more information click here
To sign the petition click here