Creating a pathway from homelessness into sustainable employment
Partners: Net Temps, Standing Tall & Winvic Construction
Sector: Construction & Social Value
Location: Leeds
The Challenge
Five months earlier, Tom had found himself living on the streets of Leeds.
He wanted to move forward, but finding a way out felt a long way off.
For someone experiencing homelessness, finding employment isn’t simply about finding a vacancy. There can be barriers around qualifications, confidence, stability, accommodation and having the right support around you.
Tom was referred to Standing Tall by a local hostel, giving him access to support and a potential route towards a different future.
The opportunity was there — but it needed the right people and organisations to come together to turn that opportunity into something real and sustainable.
For the construction industry, this also presented an opportunity to deliver meaningful social value: not simply reporting a job created, but helping someone who had experienced homelessness take a genuine step towards employment, skills and independence.
The Solution
Turning a social value commitment into a real opportunity
Net Temps worked as part of a wider partnership with Standing Tall and Winvic Construction to help create a genuine pathway into employment.
Rather than simply filling a vacancy, the focus was on understanding what Tom needed to be ready for work and creating the right connection between candidate and employer.
Preparing for employment
Standing Tall worked with Tom over a period of several months, supporting him as he prepared for his next step.
One of the key milestones was helping Tom obtain his CSCS card, giving him the qualification required to pursue work within the construction industry.
He demonstrated that he was ready to take that next step.
Connecting the right person with the right opportunity
The next step was connecting Tom with Winvic Construction and its Sweet Street site in Leeds.
The introduction was made to the site manager, and the connection clicked.
Tom was offered the opportunity to start work on site.
This was more than simply placing someone into a role. It was about creating an opportunity that matched Tom’s aspirations while meeting the needs of the construction project.
Supporting progression
Once Tom had started work, the journey didn’t stop there.
He has since trained as a hoist operator, developing new skills and opening up further opportunities within the construction industry.
Alongside his employment, Standing Tall matched Tom with one of its Amici Hosts in Leeds, giving him access to a safe and stable home as he worked towards greater independence.
The result was a joined-up approach:
Support → Skills → Employment → Progression → Stability
The Outcome
Tom’s story demonstrates what can happen when recruitment, employers and social value organisations work together around the individual.
From living on the streets in Leeds to starting work on a construction project, gaining new skills and finding somewhere he feels settled, Tom has taken significant steps towards building a different future.
The impact
✓ Supported towards employment after experiencing homelessness
✓ Gained his CSCS card
✓ Secured a construction role with Winvic
✓ Started work at the Sweet Street development in Leeds
✓ Progressed into training as a hoist operator
✓ Gained access to stable accommodation through Standing Tall’s Amici Host network
✓ Created a meaningful social value outcome for the construction project
But perhaps the biggest outcome can’t be captured in a spreadsheet.
Tom now has somewhere to live, a job to go to and new skills to build on.
And, as Standing Tall put it in its original story, “the sky is now the limit.”
The bigger picture
This is what meaningful social value can look like.
It’s not simply a number of jobs created or hours worked.
It’s about understanding the barriers people can face and working collaboratively to create opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach.
For Tom, that opportunity started with support from Standing Tall, a willingness to take the next step, an employer prepared to give him that opportunity, and a partnership that helped bring the pieces together.
For Net Temps, it’s an example of why we believe recruitment can be about more than filling vacancies.
It’s about people.
It’s about connecting individuals with opportunities, helping employers achieve meaningful social value and working with partners who share the ambition to create lasting change.
One opportunity can be the start of something much bigger.
A partnership that creates impact
Standing Tall
Providing the support, preparation and accommodation pathway.
Net Temps
Helping connect social value ambitions with genuine employment opportunities.
Winvic Construction
Providing the opportunity for Tom to enter the construction industry and develop his skills.
Tom
Taking the opportunity, developing his skills and building towards a more stable future.
At Net Temps, we believe everyone has value, and opportunity can transform lives.
