Meaningful, lasting employment
We’re breaking down barriers to employment for people affected by homelessness, and helping them thrive at work with supported roles in empathetic environments.
For people who've experienced homelessness, work can be short‑term, low paid and precarious. Indeed, finding any work at all can be a struggle; unemployment is disproportionately high for people with a background of homelessness.
The moment our mission became clear
Social Bite began life as a small coffee shop in Edinburgh in 2012. Shortly after the shop opened, a young man called Peter, who had been selling The Big Issue outside, plucked up the courage to come in and ask for a job. Recognising his initiative, founders Josh and Alice brought him onto the team.
Seeing the impact stable employment had on Peter’s life convinced them to embed supported employment for people with experience of homelessness into the heart of the business — they set a long-term aim to continue hiring people from a background of homelessness.
We started to offer more jobs to people experiencing homelessness as we got more engaged in the issue. But we could only do so much on our own — we needed to think bigger. So we introduced the Social Bite Academy to start supporting more people into employment. And with the lessons learned, we launched the expanded Jobs First programme, providing roles with support through employer partners.
My job is the beginning of a dream – it gives me the confidence that I can do many different things. The money I earn helps my family and gives me independence to buy the things I want.
A transformative new approach
Setting people up to succeed
People who have experienced homelessness often tell us they lack confidence and have limited trust in the system. This can make it difficult to engage with employment services. That’s why providing support — before and during interviews, and after beginning a new role — is key. It’s all about helping people embed themselves in a company and succeed. Our Jobs First programme provides that support in real job opportunities — we’ve already supported 120 people into meaningful, lasting, fulfilling work.
Guiding employers and employees alike
Drawing on our deep experience working with people from a background of homelessness, we give specialist wraparound support to both employer and employee for the first 12-15 months of a new role. Jobs First uses a “place and train” model, prioritising motivation over qualifications, and upskilling people within a stable and supported setting.
Not your average employability service
Traditional employability services often stop at making someone ‘job ready’. But we believe CV support, interview skills and short-term coaching are only the starting point. Jobs First pairs real, paid roles with ongoing tailored support, so people can navigate the pressures of work, housing, money and mental health over time, and not on their own.
Social Bite came through. Even though it was hard at first as I didn’t have experience, they helped me through it. Having a job, earning my own money, and then finding a room was totally transformational. Maybe this is how it is to be at peace.
How the programme works
Every Jobs First employee is matched with a dedicated Development and Support Worker, who provides person-centred, trauma-informed support throughout their role.
Support typically lasts for 12–15 months and focuses on the whole person, from housing and income to health, communication and support networks, so people can thrive at work and beyond.
For employers, that means you’re not doing this alone; Social Bite is alongside you and your new team member from recruitment through induction, probation and beyond.
As a Jobs First employer, you can expect:
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A steady pipeline of motivated candidates who want to make positive changes in their lives.
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Training and guidance for your team on working with people who have experienced homelessness.
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Regular check-ins and shared reviews with a Social Bite support worker, so issues are picked up early and tackled together.
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A proven model that delivers strong social impact and tangible benefits for your organisation.
Working together to create change
Through our Jobs First programme, we partner with businesses that share our values to change that, creating life-altering outcomes for individuals, and major benefits for employers and society as a whole. Over the past four years, the programme has supported more than 120 people into meaningful, lasting employment.
Our employer partners
The case for adopting this model
An independent evaluation of Jobs First by the Centre for Homelessness and Inclusion Health (CHIH) at the University of Edinburgh found significant social benefits.
For the people entering employment, research-verified benefits include improved confidence, better communication skills, more financial and housing stability, and fewer mental health struggles.
As for employers, they report that Jobs First helps address recruitment challenges, reduces hiring costs, and brings in highly-motivated staff. Being part of the programme and receiving training from Social Bite also creates a greater sense of belonging and purpose inside the organisations involved.
3x ROI
For every £1 invested in Jobs First, the programme generates around £3 in social benefit for the UK.
£52,000+
There’s an estimated social benefit of £52,700 per person gaining employment through Jobs First.
100%
100% of people who’ve been through the programme say they’d recommend it to others with similar backgrounds.
Jobs First brought new energy to the workplace and offered fresh perspectives that contributed to our company culture, fostering a more compassionate and inclusive environment.
“Before Social Bite, I was in a really insecure spot”
Not the page you were looking for?
If you clicked 'Jobs' because you’re keen to work at Social Bite, you can find current vacancies here.
Refer someone to Jobs First
Do you work with people experiencing homelessness? We welcome referrals to the Jobs First programme. If you’d like to find out more, or introduce a candidate, please email jobsfirst@social-bite.co.uk.
Alongside Jobs First, we also offer a Skills Lab in Glasgow and Edinburgh. This is a four-week course that runs a few times a year, covering confidence, CV writing, and interview preparation. We welcome referrals for Skills Lab too, along with discussions about running one.
And if you’re an individual looking to self-refer, we’d be happy to hear from you at jobsfirst@socialbite.co.uk