Agencies implementing GROW

Employing workers with a personal experience of homelessness

There are 84 agencies across the country signed up to the principles of GROW and committed to employing service users. For some organisations this is a new development, others have been employing service users for many years. These pages give examples of case studies featuring organisations that implement GROW in different ways. We hope to bring you examples from each of the English regions, and beyond. If your organisation would like to be featured on these pages please contact kath.dane@thamesreach.org.uk

Street drinkers outreach service

The Basement Advisory Centre in Liverpool run an assertive street drinkers outreach service employing staff with personal experience of homelessness.

Customer employment programme

Read about Brighter Futures' successful customer employment programme.

Rough sleepers service

Rochdale Petrus Community has launched a new Rough Sleepers Service staffed by people with personal experience of rough sleeping.

Client employment

Porchlight in Kent have developed a client involvement programme staffed entirely by people with an experience of service use.

Partnership working - Yorkshire

Read about Foundation Housing's work in the GROW Yorkshire Partnership case study.

Client volunteering - a day centre's experience

The Passage day centre in Westminster have kindly contributed a case study about their client volunteering programme

Client volunteering

BCHA have developed a structured volunteering programme for clients and community.

Traineeships

Framework in Nottingham have an ambitious and successful traineeship programme - WISE. Read more here about what makes it work.

Working hostel

AMAT (Ashdown Medway Accommodation Trust) have developed the concept of a 'working hostel' to help residents get over the benefits trap when they first start working.

Traineeship programme

Axiom Housing have developed a traineeship programme. Read here interviews with some of the participants and other staff working on the scheme.

Partnership working - London

Six major London agencies have formed a partnership to work together on implementing client employment and opportunities across London. See partnership working - London for more information.

Photo of Thames Reach's senior management team

Thames Reach's senior management team, from left: John Crowther, director of operations, Bill Tidnam, director of housing and community support, Chris Smith-Gillespie, director of finance and central services, Jeremy Swain, Chief Executive

"GROW has been inspired by models in New York, where user employment is far more commonplace, and we see potential benefits for all concerned.

"Thames Reach is prepared to put its money where its mouth is and give real jobs to people who have been homeless. We need to ask ourselves; "if we aren’t, why should we expect other employers to do so?"

John Crowther, Thames Reach Director of Operations