Clean Slate Training & Employment partners with the UK’s leading social enterprise, Places for People, to deliver a Bristol-based pilot launching this October.
The project will help Places for People customers with employment support, offering workshops, peer support training, and work placement opportunities. The aim is to integrate Clean Slate’s peer support model into social landlords’ services.
Places for People own or manage more than 245,000 properties that are home to around 500,000 customers across the UK. As part of their commitment to creating and supporting thriving communities, financial inclusion and employment and training are among some of the social impact initiatives Places for People are dedicated to delivering.
Quids in!, the Money Guidance initiative delivered by Clean Slate, provides comprehensive money skills training and support for people on low incomes who want to be more than better off. Funding from Places for People will help Quids in! deliver its multiple two-day employment workshops known as ‘7 Signs.’
7 Signs is a programme designed to help jobseekers identify their skills and passions, boost their confidence, and set inspiring goals to overcome employment barriers. Quids in! will be offering two 7 Signs workshops with twelve available spots per workshop. The first workshop is scheduled for the 19th and 20th of November, 2024, followed by the second on the 29th and 30th of January, 2025.
The workshop will be hosted by the St Werburghs Community Centre in Bristol. Quids in! operates a drop-in service at St Werburghs every Thursday from 12pm-4pm.
Participants from the 7 Signs workshops have the opportunity to be recruited to join the Quids in! Elements peer support programme, a 12-week placement programme that provides training, mentorship, and paid work experience to help individuals leverage their life experiences into valuable employment skills.
Elements recruits will also have the opportunity to shadow Places for People employees, depending on their career aspirations.
“Clean Slate offers fantastic opportunities for people to enhance their skills, their way with money, improve existing situations and make them better off, not only economically but also in terms of their overall wellbeing,” says St Werburghs. “They engage well with their target audiences with an inspiring and educational approach, offering opportunities for peer learning.”
Marcus Hulme, Director of Places Impact at Places for People, said, “We are delighted to be able to support Clean Slate with essential funding to deliver workshops for our customers, supporting them on their journeys into work.
“We have seen the value and the positive impact mentorship can have on individuals through other projects we have supported across the country, we look forward to seeing the results of this programme within Bristol.”
Anna Dietrich, West of England Regional Lead at Clean Slate, said, “This partnership with Places for People is a valuable opportunity to expand our employment support services across Bristol. We are eager to collaborate with an organisation that champions training opportunities and looking forward to working with them closely.
Extending our peer support program to an accessible housing provider like Places for People is an exciting step, and we are optimistic about the potential to replicate similar projects in the future.”
Customers are encouraged to reach out to their Community Housing Manager to express their interest in participating in a 7 Signs workshop. The workshop is open to anyone who wishes to take the first step towards finding work and uncovering goals.
The pilot will continue until June 2025.
