Hospitality urged to hire more people facing homelessness

Hospitality businesses have been encouraged to hire more people facing homelessness by sector charity Only a Pavement Away.

It has launched a new campaign, 'Hospitality Against Homelessness: A Hand Up For A Brighter Future', to mark World Homeless Day on 10 October.

The campaign is due to last into the winter months and comes as new research by KAM and Only a Pavement Away revealed that three in four hospitality businesses are finding it more difficult to recruit staff than ever.

Half of the operators surveyed also said that they are facing more challenges in relation to staff retention compared to a year ago, with 74% of operators navigating front of house vacancies and another 84% dealing with a shortage of back of house staff.

But research from KAM suggested that some businesses are still reluctant to hire a candidate who might be facing homelessness due to preconceptions that the individual would not be able to cope with the job (59%), that they would be unreliable (59%), and that they would be more likely to use drugs or alcohol at work (29%).

The Only a Pavement Away employment programme, which works in partnership with referral charity partners, those who are facing homelessness, and hospitality employers, aims to tackle these misconceptions through training and development.

Greg Mangham, chief executive and founder of Only a Pavement Away, said: “The insight gleaned from our recent survey in partnership with KAM indicates that recruitment is still a relentless challenge for hospitality businesses. But we can be a part of the solution.

“As we mark our fourth birthday, we are delighted with the work that we have done so far to place over 250 people back into employment, adding an approximate value of £5m to the economy, and completely transforming the lives of so many people.

"Our ambition is to place 1,000 people back into work by June 2024 and we are on track to do so. We urge potential employers to get in touch to see how we can make a difference to their businesses, and ask our wonderful supporters to keep donating, as you can be part of the change.”

Paul (pictured above), who participated in the Only a Pavement Away employment programme and now works as a goods receiver at the Ivy Asia in Chelsea, said: “Since Only a Pavement Away helped me back into full time employment, I’ve got money, I am able to pay my bills, buy myself clothing, and have found myself a place to live.

"My life is very stable and secure now which it had not been for a very long time. With help from the charity, I have gained so much confidence and can finally believe in myself. Best of all I am now able to work with my biggest passion in life… food.”

Only a Pavement Away was founded on World Homeless Day 2018 and aims to help prison leavers and veterans, as well as those facing homelessness, find jobs in the hospitality industry. The charity has placed over 250 people into work to date.

It comes after chef Adam Simmonds launched a crowdfund for a pop-up restaurant in Victoria that is to be run by the homeless community.