Helen Lawrence

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

What were you doing before starting this PhD?

I have spent much of the last five years working in front-line homelessness, specifically within supported accommodation and more recently supporting rough sleepers with a local authority ALMO. As part of an amazing outreach team I was responsible for managing a caseload of rough sleepers to assist with housing, substance misuse, health and safeguarding concerns. I have also been privileged to hold a research assistant post at The University of Nottingham working on a project related to the impact of ‘out of area’ accommodation for homeless households which resulted in a policy brief gaining cross industry support. I also work on data analysis for rough sleeping and homelessness in order to better understand trends and patterns. 

What motivated you to apply for this specific PhD project?

One major motivation I had to apply for this project was in relation to the difficulties I have witnessed working for and closely with supported accommodation providers and their residents. There are clear barriers to escaping homelessness through employment once living within supported exempt accommodation and it is a personal desire of mine to research further into the barriers which I have seen as well as those which are less obvious but potentially harmful. There are also opportunities and schemes set up which have the ‘tagline’ that they are providing employment or training opportunities for homeless individuals and a detailed exploration of this is not only potentially beneficial for the community but also will further my contextual understanding. Secondary to this I have a great faith in the lead academic supervisor of the project, having been supported by Dr Iafrati in my Undergraduate course, a time where my confidence in my ability was near non-existent. His motivational skills and constant calming nature provided a key motivation and confidence in this instance.

What difference do you hope to make in Nottingham through this research? 

I hope to make a difference within the East Midlands by providing an opportunity for those who are going through homelessness to have their voices heard. The potential for best practice guidance across providers within the region is something which could make a positive impact in the lives of many individuals experiencing homelessness.

What do you hope to be doing in 5 years’ time? (personally and/or professionally) 

I hope to have successfully completed my PhD, continuing to work on my personal development whilst remaining connected to the community that inspired me to commence the project. Exploring opportunities to work more collaboratively across academia and local authority, charity sector organisations.