Anti-Slavery and Modern Homelessness
Many individuals who are sleeping rough are extremely vulnerable to exploitation due to their complex circumstances. Homeless people are often offered jobs that turn out to come with threats but without pay.
The Anti-Slavery and Homelessness service is based within SIFA Fireside and the West Midlands Anti-Slavery Network (WMASN). The primary purpose of the service is to help build the capacity of teams to provide an exemplary model of support to individuals who have experienced modern slavery. SIFA Fireside and WMASN support the early identification of people who may have been exploited, build the skills and expertise of teams and assist the strengthening of collaborative working between voluntary sector and statutory agencies at strategic level.
The Anti-Slavery and Homelessness Development Officer coordinates the West Midlands Anti-Slavery Network’s SafePlace project: a pre-NRM supported accommodation for adult male survivors of human trafficking and modern slavery in the West Midlands.
SIFA Fireside is passionate about advocating for those who need a voice the most, ensuring they are encouraged to make informed choices and decisions about their care and future, ensuring professionals are survivor-centred from the get-go. SIFA Fireside feels strongly about being trauma-informed and providing awareness and education to external organisations relating to the importance of the victim care standards and what best practice looks like when encountering survivors.
Do you want to see what we’ve achieved so far? Take a look at the Adult Modern Slavery Briefing below. Want to know more? Contact Nicole Morris at nicolemorris@sifafireside.co.uk
Raising awareness and tackling modern day slavery, head on. Download our briefing.
The Adult Support Hub (ASH) strives for early intervention and homelessness prevention for single adults and childless couples aged over 25 in Birmingham. Funded by Birmingham City Council, ASH provides tailor-made services for each individual’s set of unique circumstances.
This can range from offering money and welfare benefits advice, health and wellbeing services and guidance with regards to specialist housing.
Maintaining employment is, of course, an integral part of preventing homelessness which is why SIFA Fireside hosts Job Clubs and CV workshops, English Language sessions and regularly signposts clients to employability training and budgeting workshops.
From hot meals and food parcels, showers and clean clothes, to conversation and an internet connection, our Drop-in Centre enables clients’ basic needs to be met, all of the time. Our services don’t stop after meal times though; we can provide a ‘Care Of’ postal address, safe document storage and access to a range of health services including a nurse, optician, chiropractor, podiatrist and mental health support.
SIFA Fireside is also part of a consortium set up to focus on women’s rough sleeping, with the emphasis on creating a pathway model for prevention, crisis and resettlement. We engage in outreach and specific services which enable vulnerable women to see SIFA FIreside as a safe space in which to rebuild their lives with dignity.
One of our main aims is to get to a point where our clients don’t need SIFA Fireside anymore. This journey to independence includes access to mental health services, the teaching and development of life skills, advice to find and keep accommodation, legal advice signposting and specialist services for specific client groups.
Our Drop-In Centre has recently started to welcome an increasing number of individuals from an Eastern and Central European background. Our newly appointed Central and Eastern European Project Worker is situated at SIFA specifically to support this group of clients in everything from translation, to job applications and official documentation retrieval.
Our Tenancy Support Services works alongside clients to make sure that their tenancy is sustainable through advice on Welfare Benefits and Universal Credit, interactive Finance and Budgeting workshops and even ensuring that houses are sufficiently furnished. To send a referral directly to Financial Inclusion and Housing, please email tenancysupport@sifafireside.co.uk.
Getting into the world of work is essential to a successful move on for our clients. Our Building Employability programme raises awareness of the challenges that former homeless or exploited individuals face when trying to secure gainful employment. In conjunction with our corporate partners, we provide specialist training and advice to organisations who are striving to make their employment more accessible.
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