With the recent press coverage of how the housing minister wants to link council housing to finding employment, we are excited to be working on an innovative project to do just this.

Welcoming the scheme, Housing Minister Caroline Flint said: “Since joining this department I have been impressed by how far some landlords already go to provide access to opportunity as well as a roof over their tenant’s heads. A home is not enough, we need to give people the chance to escape the cycle of homelessness and unemployment by supporting them to find training and a job and this scheme is designed to do just that. By linking housing advice with employment advice the West London Housing Employment scheme will provide valuable support that can transform people’s lives”.

In partnership with the West London Homelessness Employment Link Project(HELP) we have developed an application to support and monitor housing applicants who have been sign-posted towards employment services within their borough.

Housing advice officers work with housing applicant to capture information about the applicant's training and employment requirements. The system then directs the applicant toward a preferred provider working within the borough. Through the system the housing adviser and applicant set up an Information advice and guidance (IAG) appointment with the provider.

The advice given, referrals made and employment found through consultation with the provider are captured in the application. Reporting is available to track and monitor the effectiveness of this project.