Skip to content

Working residents? Employment-related support, barriers, and outcomes for people living in exempt (supported) accommodation.

    Co(l)laboratory 2024 PhD Project

    Download PDF

    Key Details

    Project Title: Working residents? Employment-related support, barriers, and outcomes for people living in exempt (supported) accommodation.

    Deadline:12 noon,15 December 2023

    Host University: The University of Nottingham 

    School/department: Sociology & Social Policy

    Start date: 03 April 2024 

    Funding offer: Tuition fees covered in full (worth approx. £15k across full PhD programme). Monthly stipend based on £18,622 per annum, pro rata, tax free.

    Working hours: Full-time (minimum 37.5 hrs per week), or part-time (minimum 20hrs per week). 

    Working style: Primarily in-person at host university. Flexible working supported. Working pattern to be agreed between successful candidate and lead supervisor.  

    Project Supervisors

    About The Project

    Research indicates that being homeless or in precarious housing, has a considerable economic impact as well as creating significant challenges for individuals experiencing homelessness in areas such as mental health, family relationships, maintaining social networks, employment, and physical health (including substance abuse). Yet despite evidence of the numerous, far-reaching personal, economic, and social benefits of individuals engaging in paid work, there are significant challenges within current homelessness and welfare systems in the UK which suggest that they do not effectively support homeless people to move into paid work.  

    Local evaluation evidence suggests that people living in supported accommodation encounter multiple and complex barriers to work. Housing services tend to regard employability as outside of their remit and are inadequately supported and equipped to deliver such interventions. Those who do pursue paid employment can incur debt and even face eviction, as they navigate complex benefits systems and significantly increased rent costs. This deters many staff and service users from pursuing paid employment whilst living in supported housing. The employment-related needs of those in supported housing, therefore, are not always explored and addressed.  

    Though there is considerable evidence that homeless people can and do work whilst living in supported housing, little is known about this experience from the perspectives of ‘working residents’ or those delivering support. Furthermore, there appears to be a general lack of embedded employment-related provisions within supported housing. This is especially worrying for a city such as Nottingham where the government’s work and benefit data identifies above average unemployment, above average numbers in low paid/skilled work, below average numbers in higher paid/skilled jobs, and pay levels significantly below regional and national averages.   

    This project uses a case study approach to explore current employability practices within an East Midlands-based charity, Framework, which offers supported housing to homeless and vulnerable people. The project seeks to unravel the challenges to work faced by individuals in supported housing, examining tensions between the employment and housing-related needs of residents and housing providers, within the current UK political, social, economic and welfare policy context. It will also examine practices that align with successful employment-related outcomes for working residents, subsequently increasing our knowledge and understanding of ‘what works’ within these settings.

    Project Aims 

    The broad aims of the project are:   

    1. To explore experiences and perceptions of ‘working residents’, and those who work within supported housing settings in relation to employment, housing, and benefits to gain deeper understandings of their lived experiences   
    1. To produce an intersectional analysis of people’s challenges and barriers in relation to housing, employment, and welfare  
    1. To explore how the voices of those most likely to experience homelessness and/or unemployment are heard and to identify channels to effectively incorporate this into policy processes 

    Competencies

     Co(l)laboratory Core Competencies   
    Category Competency Assessed: Application (A), Interview (I) 
    Comprehension and evaluation Strong understanding of the project and its subject matter. A / I 
    Analytical, researcher mindset with keen attention to detail. A / I 
    Communicate complex concepts with clarity and precision. A / I 
    Able to identify connections, patterns, gaps, and irregularities in information/data. I 
    Able to interpret data/information confidently with logic and empathy to derive meaning. I 
    Social and emotional Demonstrable experience of responding effectively changing contexts, information and demands. A 
    Ability to persevere in the face of challenges/failures and to remain constructive in developing solutions. A 
    Demonstrable passion for learning with clear drive and curiosity to undertake this specific research project. A / I 
    Willingness to immerse oneself in the research subject matter and make a contribute to new knowledge through a PhD. A / I 
    Strong desire to make a positive community impact through the research. A / I 
    Willingness to think deeply about complex concepts and engage with academic ideas and theory. A / I 
    Preparedness and potential for success         Experience of working and collaborating effectively with different stakeholders. A 
    High level of self-motivation and ability to work with minimal guidance. A / I 
    Strong organisational and time-management skills with the ability to balance and prioritise multiple tasks. A / I 
    Ability to identify potential challenges and complexities and thoughtfully consider possible solutions.  A / I 
    Able to identify the technical, personal, or professional skills required for a task and take action to develop these. A / I 
    Community Context Genuine desire to undertake community-engaged research over more traditional approaches to research. A 
    Understand the impact of and need for the inclusion of diverse experiences and points of view in research. A / I 
    Appreciation/understanding of the importance of community insight and experience in the generation of new knowledge.  A / I 
    Awareness/understanding of the broader societal context related to the subject matter of the project. A / I  
     Project Specific Competencies   
    Essential Assessed: Application (A), Interview (I) Desirable Assessed: Application (A), Interview (I) 
    Understanding of current work/research/debates relating to housing, multiple and complex needs, and employability.  A / I Experience of working or researching within housing and/or the homelessness sector.  A / I 
    Understanding of contextual issues related to homelessness like mental ill health, offending, substance misuse, etc.   A / I Understanding or experience of employability and supporting people in their pursuit of recovery and/or resettlement  A / I 
    Demonstrable understanding of, or relevant background in, the social sciences.  A / I Experience of conducting research-style interviews and thematic analysis.  A / I 
    Experience researching or working with sensitive issues and/or demonstrable ability to engage appropriately with difficult topics.  A / I   
    Apply here

    References for Further Reading 

    1. Boughton, J., 2018. Municipal dreams: The rise and fall of council housing. Verso books.
    2. Braun, V., and Clarke, V., 2022. Thematic Analysis: A Practical Guide. Sage
    3. Braun, V. and Clarke, V., 2006. Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative research in psychology, 3(2), pp.77-101.
    4. Department for Communities and Local Government, 2012. Evidence review of the costs of homelessness, available at https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/7596/2200485.pdf
    5. Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, 2023. Homelessness live tables, available at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness
    6. Dwyer, P., Scullion, L., Jones, K., McNeill, J. and Stewart, A.B., 2020. Work, welfare, and wellbeing: The impacts of welfare conditionality on people with mental health impairments in the UK. Social Policy & Administration, 54(2), pp.311-326.
    7. England, E., Thomas, I., Mackie, P. and Browne-Gott, H., 2022. A typology of multiple exclusion homelessness. Housing Studies, pp.1-25.
    8. Fitzpatrick, S., Bramley, G. and Johnsen, S., 2013. Pathways into multiple exclusion homelessness in seven UK cities. Urban Studies, 50(1), pp.148-168.
    9. Fitzpatrick, S., Johnsen, S. and White, M., 2011. Multiple exclusion homelessness in the UK: key patterns and intersections. Social Policy and Society, 10(4), pp.501-512.
    10. Harris, E. and Nowicki, M., 2020. “GET SMALLER”? Emerging geographies of micro‐living. Area, 52(3), pp.591-599.
    11. Heslop, J. and Ormerod, E., 2020. The politics of crisis: Deconstructing the dominant narratives of the housing crisis. Antipode, 52(1), pp.145-163.
    12. Hobson, J., Lynch, K. and Lodge, A., 2020. Residualisation in supported housing: an organisational case study. Housing, Care and Support, 23(1), pp.1-13.
    13. Iafrati, S., 2021. Supporting tenants with multiple and complex needs in houses in multiple occupation: The need to balance planning restrictions and housing enforcement with support. Social Policy and Society, 20(1), pp.62-73.
    14. Kingdon, J. W., 1984. Agendas, Alternatives, and Public Policies. New York, NY: Longman
    15. Lincoln, Y.S. and Guba, E.G., 1985. Naturalistic inquiry. sage.
    16. Lipsky, M., 2010. Street-level bureaucracy: Dilemmas of the individual in public service. Russell Sage Foundation.
    17. Lombard, M., 2019. Informality as structure or agency? Exploring shed housing in the UK as informal practice. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 43(3), pp.569-575.
    18. Lopes, F.V., Bakx, P., Harper, S., Ravesteijn, B. and Van Ourti, T., 2022. The effects of supported housing for individuals with mental disorders. Health Economics, 31, pp.115-133.
    19. McGrath, J., Crossley, S., Lhussier, M. and Forster, N., 2023. Social capital and women’s narratives of homelessness and multiple exclusion in northern England. International Journal for Equity in Health, 22(1), p.41.
    20. Mulheirn, I., 2019. Tackling the UK housing crisis: is supply the answer. UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence.
    21. Nielsen, M.B.D., Mølbak, M.L., Hvass, L.R. and Folker, A.P., 2021. Healthy settings: supported housing for people with mental and intellectual disabilities in Denmark. Health promotion international, 36(5), pp.1413-1424.
    22. Office for National Statistics (2023): NOMIS data local authority profile for Nottingham available at https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/reports/lmp/la/1946157131/report.aspx
    23. Opportunity and Change (2023): A Pathway to Work: End of project report
    24. O’Leary, C. and Simcock, T., 2022. Policy failure or f*** up: Homelessness and welfare reform in England. Housing Studies, 37(8), pp.1379-1395.
    25. Roeg, D., De Winter, L., Bergmans, C., Couwenbergh, C., McPherson, P., Killaspy, H. and Van Weeghel, J., 2021. iPS in supported housing: fidelity and employment outcomes over a 4 year period. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, p.622061.
    26. Sanders, B., Boobis, S. and Albanese, F., 2019. It was like a nightmare. The reality of sofa surfing in Britain today.
    27. Wilson, W. and Barton, C., 2022. Households in temporary accommodation (England). House of Commons Library.
    28. White, J., Fluharty, M., de Groot, R., Bell, S. and Batty, G.D., 2022. Mortality among rough sleepers, squatters, residents of homeless shelters or hotels and sofa-surfers: a pooled analysis of UK birth cohorts. International journal of epidemiology, 51(3), pp.839-846. Yin, R.K., 2009. Case study research: Design and methods (Vol. 5). Sage.