Council proud to recognise the Jobs First Programme

The Council is proud to recognise the work of Social Bite’s Jobs First programme through our parking contractor NSL (part of Marston Holdings).

We’re also sharing the inspiring story of Patrick who has benefitted from this programme and is now employed as a Parking Attendant here in Edinburgh.

Jobs First was established by Social Bite in October 2021 as a pathway for homelessness experienced individuals to employment – and in that time they have helped over 90 people. 

The programme guarantees living wage employment for each person and provides wrap-around support for both the employer and employee.

Each Jobs First employee is allocated a support worker from Social Bite who assists them throughout the programme and their employment contract, meeting weekly initially to offer practical support on bills and forms, as well as emotional guidance and confidence building to adapt to working life.

Social Bite also provides training to each employer to help them appropriately guide the employee while the support worker will help facilitate appraisal processes and employee progress.

Today we’re sharing Patrick’s story to highlight how the programme has had a positive impact on his life and in turn added value to the services we provide to the people of Edinburgh.

A video on this is available on the Council’s Instagram account.

In October, the prestigious ‘Parking in the Community Award’ was also awarded to the Council, NSL and Social Bite at the British Parking Awards, recognising this important work.

Council Leader Jane Meagher said: “Homelessness is one of the key challenges that we face in our city and I’m incredibly proud of the work that is ongoing between our services and Social Bite on the Jobs First programme.

“Behind every case of homelessness is an individual story and Patrick’s shows what can be achieved when the right support is in place. Gainful employment is about so much more than simply earning a wage. It’s a route to rebuild a life with confidence, social relationships and other transferrable skills.

“I’m hopeful that this relationship with Social Bite will continue for many years to come and that we can help more individuals like Patrick to overcome these difficulties and lessen the impact of homelessness in Edinburgh as much as we can.”

Emma Colgan-Blair, Social Bite’s Jobs First Programme Coordinator, said: “Over the past three years, Social Bite’s partnership with NSL and the City of Edinburgh Council through the Jobs First programme has helped people affected by homelessness build brighter futures.

“With a shared ethos of creating pathways to employment, together we’ve been able to support many individuals like Patrick to achieve financial stability, career growth, and personal transformation. This collaboration shows the life-changing impact of offering people from all walks of life the right support and opportunities.”

Keith Hanshaw, Group Managing Director of NSL, said: “Marston Holdings have been supporting Social Bite since 2022. We work closely with them in Edinburgh and across the UK to support those who have experienced homelessness through meaningful permanent employment opportunities.

“Social Bite were also voted internally to be one of our two Christmas reward sponsors. We have employed numerous people like Patrick and look to continue to do so for many years to come. We are really proud of the impact this makes on our local communities.”