Background Cyrenians Specialist homelessness provider with over 10 years experience of delivering ESF projects. Convergence– Cyrenians Supported Employment and Training (CSET) project comprises a network of projects to: 1.Overcome barriers. 2.Provide training. 3.Help to find employment and sustain it. Target group – homeless, isolated, disengaged from mainstream services.

Background Celfi Retail Training Centre Cyrenians Community Centre Cyrenians Employment Support Agency Dragon Arts and Learning Centre Res’a’Rec Re-use and Recycling Centre

Background Outcomes from December 2010 to March 2012 –Participants4773 –Qualifications525 –Employment701 The mix of life skills, with work experience then a dedicated employment agency is the whole person package that makes the Cyrenians model a success, and with a bit more time could prove to be a good practice model across Wales and the UK’ (Wavehill Ltd. 2011).

Context

Context (Extract below from European Union Cohesion Policy) More developed regions Transition regions Less developed regions 3 categories of regions

Context Europe 2020 Strategy Smart:  75% of EU population (20-64) in employment.  3% of EU GDP invested in R&D / innovation. Sustainable:  ‘20/20/20’ climate/energy targets to be met. Inclusive:  Young people exiting school early to be less than 10%; and 40% of year olds to have a tertiary degree.  20 million less people to be at risk of poverty.

Context Homelessness and structural funds –Recognition across EU that tackling entrenched poverty is a key challenge for (hence the European Platform Against Poverty and Social Exclusion under Europe 2020). –Homelessness now features more prominently in EU discussions and papers, and there is an intention that tackling homelessness should cut across major EU funding programmes such as ERDF and ESF. –In the current programming period, the ESF is used in many Member States to fund homelessness initiatives. These initiatives tend to focus on the social inclusion of homeless people with a view to their sustainable integration in the labour market. There is still scope to enhance and expand the role of the ESF in fighting homelessness and to make a stronger contribution to ending homelessness (Feantsa).

Proposal Places of Change Cymru 1. To provide a co-ordinated network of accommodation, training and enterprise hubs in areas of acute need across West Wales and the Valleys. 2. To use the successful Places of Change model in England as a reference, but tailoring the project to Welsh requirements. 3. To fund capital costs through ERDF and revenue through ESF. 4. To incorporate a transnational partnership that can draw on best practice from Europe for the benefit of homeless and marginalised people in Wales.

Activities Accommodation / residential placements. Vocational training. Rural skills. Employment support; help with finding and maintaining work, social enterprise, microbusinesses etc. Community engagement. Land share schemes, allotments, food co-operatives, time banking. Incorporating WG initiatives – e.g. empty homes. Transnational exchange between EU partners. Lifelong learning participation (Grundtvig, Leonardo, Transversal) ESOL training.

Core principles To focus on reaching the hardest to reach. To work towards community engagement, and being responsive to local need – and to assist regeneration. To promote green initiatives. To involve the local community in the development of the project. To be innovative. To aim to create flexible models of excellence, that can adapt to changing circumstance. To leave a legacy, and to continue developing beyond 2020.

Development A consortium planning group comprising Cadwyn Housing Association, Caer Las, Cyrenians, Cymorth and Shelter Cymru. Reporting regularly to Rough Sleepers Cymru, and using network to inform project development. Community-led approach, responsive to local need. Research best-practice delivery (e.g. PoC examples). Scoping exercise (i.e. potential areas/sites, consultation etc.). Consultation with national bodies – e.g. WCVA, WLGA. Consultation with local representatives. Consultation with WEFO. Seek political support. Develop robust fully-costed Business Plan. Develop trans-national partnerships.

Transnational Partnerships Wales can learn from exemplar projects in EU. Greater focus on transnationality in programme. Potential partners include: –Casa Ioana (Romania) –San Patrignano (Italy) –Basta (Sweden) Structured partnerships also facilitate involvement in the Lifelong Learning programme (e.g. Grundtvig, Leonardo).

Fit with WEFO requirements for A belief that wider ‘strategic’ approach has been beneficial. Therefore partnership working will be further encouraged. Want to ‘hit the ground running’ and avoid any pause between programmes (delays were problematic between the end of Objective One and the start of Convergence). Directly contributes to the aims of the European Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion. Greater emphasis on trans-national working.

Considerations Matched funding requirement (likely requirement will be around 40-45%). Local opposition / delays in planning process etc. Delays in funding (up to 2 years at beginning of Convergence programme). Excessively complicated bureaucracy. Procurement. Geographical coordination. Other?