‘Addressing youth unemployment and homelessness’, are key aims of Wales’ longest-running public sector procurement framework, the £1bn South East and Mid Wales Collaborative Construction Framework (SEWSCAP), thanks to a new partnership with Welsh homelessness charity, Llamau.
In line with its commitment to meeting the goals and objectives of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, the award-winning framework, in partnership with its sister framework, the South East & Mid Wales Collaborative Civil Engineering and Highways Construction Framework (SEWH), has committed approximately £25k funding to the charity, ensuring support for its Wellbeing and Education programmes.
Llamau’s mission is to end youth homelessness and homelessness amongst women in Wales, making it rare, brief, and non-recurrent if and when it does occur. Llamau has developed a range of housing-related, prevention and ‘move on’ services, including a range of ‘Step into…’ programmes designed to support young people and women with experiences of homelessness and abuse to achieve their potential and live independent, purposeful lives. It delivers services across 19 of the 22 local authorities in Wales and in 2020/21 supported over 7,500 young people, women, and children to achieve positive and sustainable outcomes.
The SEWSCAP and SEWH frameworks are funding the ‘Step into Wellbeing’ programme with a core aim of helping young people with complex needs to develop self-belief, feel proud of what they have achieved and confident that they can continue to overcome their identified barriers to education, employment, and training. It is delivered through guided workshops, group discussions and community-based activities, and they work with young people to identify the barriers holding them back and create an individual plan to improve their quality of life.
They are also supporting the ‘Step into Education’ programme which delivers the charity’s Agored Cymru and Essential Skills Wales programmes, awards in Personal and Social Education and Work-Related Education and interactive workshops. The programme focuses on employability and life skills and works closely with Llamau’s partners such as Careers Wales to ensure impartial advice and guidance is provided.
Alongside curriculum-based provision, Llamau provides a range of bespoke support with key barriers (e.g., digital inclusion, travel training, access to ID paperwork) and opportunities outside of the classroom which brings learning to life. This includes engagement with a range of local employers via volunteering or employability activities (e.g. CV Workshops/work experience) and sites of cultural/community interest.
Christopher McClellan, SEWSCAP and SEWH Framework Manager adds: “Via a social levy received from contractors on the SEWH framework, and contribution to social initiatives through SEWSCAP, we can support organisations that are making a sustainable and tangible difference within communities, in line with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
“We recognise the vital work Llamau undertakes and are delighted to be supporting them in several ways. Not only are we delivering financial support for specific programmes, but we are linking them to the Onsite Construction Academy in Cardiff which SEWSCAP was instrumental in securing £1.2m of CITB funding over 3 years and is being delivered by Cardiff Council’s Into Work Advice Service.”
“This will ensure a broad range of new training and employment opportunities are open to the people Llamau supports and we see this as a long-term partnership delivering tangible, sustainable impact. We are looking forward to seeing people Llamau supports coming through the Academy very soon.”
Lucy Walker, Corporate Fundraiser at Llamau adds: “Support from partners like SEWSCAP and SEWH is essential to ensure we’re able to end homelessness in Wales.
“SEWSCAP and SEWH share so many of our own values when it comes to supporting young people in our communities and we look forward to working together to ensure that young people have the opportunities that will help them thrive and leave homelessness behind. We can’t thank SEWSCAP and SEWH enough for their ongoing support.
SEWSCAP was the first local authority construction framework in Wales and draws together the expertise of pre-qualified, experienced, small, medium, and large contractors to provide various school / public buildings construction works, as well as modular and demountable solutions, between the values of over £250k to £100m.
Its aim is to achieve best value arrangements for South East & Mid Wales through competitive procurement, whilst driving regeneration, continuous improvement and best practice. This is achieved through continuous improvement with the involvement of key stakeholders and industry benchmarking.
SEWH draws together the expertise of pre-qualified, experienced small, medium, and large contractors for various civil engineering and highway construction works, including maintenance, surfacing and project work.
