Providence Row Catering Trainee Scheme: A blueprint for success, by Dom Gates

The last year has been a big year for Providence Row. A few weeks ago our Catering Trainee Scheme scooped second place at the prestigious London Homelessness Awards, in memory of Andy Ludlow

We’re over the moon to be receiving recognition for our innovative approach; an approach that we realised early on garnered strong, positive outcomes for our clients. Although the scheme focuses on food, I believe the heart of the success of the scheme is our investment in, and commitment to, positive risk-taking in a supportive environment. It was this risk taking that impressed the LHA judges. 

We offer a personalised service which takes into account the challenges of rough sleeping and/or living with substance misuse or mental health issues. For people affected by these issues to be truly motivated , they need the opportunity to train, to be part of a team and to feel like they are moving forwards from day one.

For example, some schemes require participants to get clean first. We don’t. We just ask that trainees engage with support staff to tackle these issues, whilst training. We find that, while on the scheme, clients reduce their drinking and drug-taking.

So with this in mind, and with £15,000 from the Awards in our back pocket,  we are branching out. Replicating some of the key components of the catering scheme, we believe we can have the same success training people in horticulture, baking and building too.

Our brand new gardening trainee scheme is now available so those that our more green-fingered clients can pursue their training; growing and maintaining a working kitchen garden on our roof while also getting the support they need from our support workers onsite. The food we produce is used in our kitchen, and this binds all the trainees together as a community; growing, reaping and cooking food for the 30-50 rough sleepers who join us for breakfast and lunch each day.

With all our training schemes, our trainees are also working towards a qualification. With the gardening trainee scheme, they are working towards a Level 1 certificate in horticulture.  We’ve thought carefully about what trainees do after the course, and help pave the way in advance for ‘move on’ with advice on job search, CVs and interviews.

For those with a real interest and flair for baking, we have now developed a bakery training course, as part of Providence Row Bakery (our social enterprise and a real business, selling cakes and baked goods to local cafes and shops). This accredited scheme gives trainees real, authentic experience being part of a growing small business. There’s a tangible end-product, and customer service expectation, which is great experience for our bakers, who take a great pride in their work, and our products.

Our next idea will be building. But regardless of the subject the approach is the same: Giving as many people as possible to opportunity to train and develop, whilst receiving the support they are entitled to, and need, to succeed. The LHA has helped us do this.

Volunteering from Across the Pond by Nancy Sutter

This blog post was written by our superstar intern, Nancy, in December 2015. She played a key role in helping us transition from a small wholesale operation into the amazing social enterprise we have now!

 

Volunteering from across the pond

Nancy and Julia - another ace intern.

Volunteering at Providence Row has been a true highlight of my study abroad experience in London. As an American, it has been my first exposure to a British not-for-profit and I am continually impressed to say the least! The more time I spend at Providence Row, the more I learn about the unique services they offer and the good they bring to the community.

The Learning Programme at Providence Row makes many different activities available with the hope that clients will get involved in something they enjoy. Activities include art, English and IT. These opportunities inspire confidence again in skills, new or renewed, as well as provide an environment for clients to build new social networks. By making these different activities available, Providence Row is helping people out of homelessness by giving them access to support during their journey.

The majority of my time at Providence Row has been spent developing the newly established social enterprise Providence Row Bakery. When they join the bakery trainee scheme clients can work in the kitchen baking goods that are then sold to the local area.

Clients have the chance to take part in the many steps from baking to delivering, gaining experience in a real business that can greatly improve a client’s CV. It’s a big project that has been really fun to be a part of.

My tasks at Providence Row have mainly included gathering and organising up-to-date market research in order to formulate strategies and plans that will help achieve the bakery’s goals. I have created surveys and visited cafes in the local area to discuss their strengths and weaknesses as a business as well as their interest in supporting our bakery. Upon analysing the collected data we have been able to create innovative market strategies to generate even better economic returns.

Pitching Providence Row Bakery to the local area was a challenging but rewarding task. Asking businesses to take time out of their day can seem invasive and disruptive but important to the success of the Providence Row Bakery. Providence Row has created support and opportunities to so many different people and continues to do so every day. Speaking with local businesses about Providence Row and informing them on how they can get involved becomes easier when you are speaking on behalf of a wonderful organization.

The people at Providence Row are fun and supportive making my time here an enjoyable experience. I am grateful for the opportunity to spend my last two months in the UK volunteering at Providence Row before I go back to the United States. I will be sure to check in on the bakery and spread the word about Providence Row.