Candidate Support

Frequently asked questions / Barriers to employment

Please click over different work barriers below to see the options available to help you along the candidate journey to full employment:

I have no fixed abode / accommodation

Please get in contact with Shelter to speak to their housing advisers.

I have no personal identification (ID)

Most employers will ask for some form of ID. If you are working with a charity please ask them if they would be able to support you in getting what is required. If you were born in the UK, we may be able to help you get a copy of your birth certificate. If this isn’t the case please still get in touch and we’ll talk to the employer and to our network and see what we can do. Please use our 'Support form' to get in touch.

English is not my 1st language

Not all jobs require high levels of written or spoken English. If you have seen a job on this site that you are interested in please let us know and we can speak to the employer for you and see if it will be suitable. If not, we’ll help you to find something else that is. Please use our 'Support form' to get in touch.

I require a bank account

We have a scheme with three high street banks where we can work to open accounts for people who don’t have a permanent address (or who are unable to open an account for other reasons linked to homelessness). In a few rare cases we can’t do this, but we will try our best! This scheme is open via all housing providers and charities, or if you prefer, please get in touch directly and we can arrange your appointment. Please use our 'Support form' to get in touch.

I have a criminal conviction

It’s against the law to refuse someone a job because they’ve got a spent conviction or caution, unless it’s for a role which requires a DBS check that shows the candidate are unsuitable. After your ‘rehabilitation period’ you don’t have to tell your employer about your conviction unless you would like to. You’ll have to tell them if you have an unspent conviction or your sentence was more than 4 years long and organisations like ‘Business in the Community’ can help you prepare for this.

I feel that I lack skills / qualifications / experience / confidence

We offer training and volunteering opportunities as well as full-time employment. A placement can be a great way to try a certain job out to see if it’s right for you too. You can also look to meet other candidates and potential employers at our monthly Manchester Homeless Partnership meetup and further also get support from our job buddies who will help with this initiative. Please use our 'Support form' to get in touch.

I would like support with creating or updating my CV

The Booth Centre and the Mustard Tree have weekly job clubs that can help you with this, and Business in the Community offers a ‘Ready to Work’ programme. Please use our 'Support form' to get in touch and we can also let you now when the next sessions are. If you’d prefer, one of our ‘job buddies’ can support you with this too - please get in touch and we can introduce you.

I would like support with the application process

I would like help with the interview process

All of the employers on this site have attended a session with us to understand homelessness and what we mean by ‘inclusive recruitment’. Part of this is having a more understanding and welcoming interview process, which helps with candidates in having the right platform to getting successfully into employed work. We can further arrange for you to meet the employer informally first if you’d like. Also charities such as The Booth Centre and the Mustard Tree can help with interview techniques as part of their 'Job club' programs. If you’d prefer, one of our ‘job buddies’ can support you with this too - please get in touch and we can introduce you using our 'Support form'

I would like to meet other candidates and potential employees

We host a monthly Manchester Homelessness Partnership ‘meet-up’ where businesses meet charities and potential candidates. These are on the last Tuesday of every month. Please use our 'Support form' to get in touch.

I would like a job buddy to support me through this initiative

Great! They’re looking forward to meeting you! Get in touch and we’ll introduce you to one of our volunteers. If you’re already working with a charity and have good relationships with people there it might be a nice idea to ask if someone you get on with could offer this support too? Please use our 'Support form' to get in touch.

I would like help with expenses such as travel costs, work clothing & equipment

No problem. The employer will reimburse lunch and travel costs for any interview and we can provide clothing/equipment through a DWP scheme (or via the Big Change). Please use our 'Support form' to get in touch.

I’m worried about how a job will impact my Universal Credit payments

With Universal Credit your benefits payments will reduce as you earn. You may be eligible for a work allowance if you care for a child/young person, or if you have a disability or health condition. Unfortunately, we can’t change this but we can talk you though the information if this would help. For more information please visit: www.gov.uk/universal-credit/how-your-earnings-affect-your-payments or Please use our 'Support form' to get in touch.

I don’t have right to work in the UK

Unfortunately we cannot provide employment to people who do not have the right to work in the UK. (We wish that this was different!). There might still be some great training or volunteering opportunities for you so please get in touch and we’ll see what we can do. Please use our 'Support form' to get in touch."