Published: Monday 26 September 2022
Residents who are homeless or threatened with homelessness in Kensington and Chelsea are being helped into training, employment and accommodation through an innovative technology-led partnership with social enterprise Beam.
Through Beam’s platform, residents engaged with the Council’s Housing Needs department can fundraise for the cost of items that can be a financial obstacle to finding a job or home, including training, childcare, travel costs and a rental deposit.
Funding is spread out equally between participants, meaning everyone reaches their target within an average of 17 days. Every Beam campaign to date has been successfully funded.
Under the arrangement, which has been successfully rolled out in other London boroughs and across England, residents also receive support from a dedicated Beam caseworker. That service matches them with suitable properties and high-quality jobs at Beam’s employer partners, as well as support with CV writing and job applications.
Cllr Kim Taylor-Smith, Lead Member for Grenfell, Housing and Social Investment, said:
“We know that for our most vulnerable residents, finding a settled home or gaining the skills needed to start a new career can seem like insurmountable challenges.
“Through Beam’s proven model, those residents are helped to identify their goals, take the first steps towards achieving them and inspire others to do the same.”
Seb Barker, Beam’s co-founder and COO, said:
“Beam is using technology to empower the most disadvantaged people in our society, by giving them an online support network and all the tools they need to accelerate their journey into stable work or housing.
“We’re delighted to be working with Kensington and Chelsea on a truly innovative and community-driven approach to reducing homelessness.”
Social investment is how Kensington and Chelsea uses its assets and other resources to improve the prosperity and wellbeing of residents. It has been embedded in areas including grounds maintenance contracts and the Council’s new homes programme.
Recent examples of the Council’s social investment in action include:
- A 10-year grounds maintenance, sports and bereavement services contract awarded to idverde, which will see the company provide employment, skills and volunteering opportunities to the local community
- The Building Lives Academy, which provides construction skills training to young people and is based in Council-owned premises in North Kensington which have been provided to developer Willmott Dixon on a social investment lease.