Working together to fight homelessness

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Business in the Community’s work placement programme helps homeless people find employment

More than 450 Royal Mail work placements have been provided to homeless people through our involvement in Business in the Community’s Ready for Work programme.

The scheme aims to provide participants with work placements, mentoring and a route into full-time employment.

Since we signed up to the scheme in 2005, we have provided 451 work placements, 217 of which have resulted in jobs.

Additionally, we have employed 89 Ready for Work candidates who completed placements with other companies.

Employees getting involved

Dianne Crookes, group resourcing supplier manager, says: ‘The Ready for Work programme is a good source of employees. They're local people who just need to be given a chance and as a business, we fundamentally feel that’s the right thing to do.

‘We employ over 127,000 people on the front-line, and we have some really great employees who love being involved with the Ready for Work placements.’

Dianne says that it’s a good development opportunity for employees to learn buddying and mentoring.

Increased job satisfaction

‘We’ve found the scheme has increased employee engagement. Some 74% of staff participating in buddying/mentoring report increased job satisfaction; and 80% say that the process has improved their relationship building skills.

‘Some 94% say they feel more understanding and empathy towards others,’ says Dianne.