OVERALL CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS
Not identifying immediatley that someone lacks ID or bank account
- Confusion about who does the DTR
Not Identifying housing and other support needs immediately.
Need good opps during sentence with local employers
Can get very short window to support people. Challenging.
Set process to prepare for release
Starts 12 weeks prior. DTR can be sent
that lacking accommodation - or may actually be sofa surfing
All prisons now have ID and banking lead
People not always identified early enough
Remand support Now exists in most prisons delivered by commissioned support providers
More publicity for work in prisons
Useful for LAs to better understand positive work within prisons
To ensure referrals are made effectively and in time.
Some local authorities accepting DTRs based on court hearing date
What data is available to give realistic picture of how many people are leaving NFA?
To understand housing right and manage expectations.
Video and telephone appointments can be challenging
Challenge for whole community not just prisons
Need less focus on prisons and more on whole community
Strategic Housing Specialist role
Aims to build these relationships
Still in pilot stage, Collate lots of positive info from custody
for the person leaving prison to be able to share e.g. having completed a Renting Ready course in custody etc.
Losing job offers due to housing
Some people are out working when in Cat Ds and have a job offer but then have no housing.
Every LA Housing Options Service should have a dedicated worker,
Specialist role within LA
West Berkshire RSI funded discharge worker in Housing Options
Lack of support and LHA entitlement is a challenge.
Losing local connection due to long sentence
then returning to home area.
CHALLENGES ACCESSING HOUSING
Policy ask : under 35s need more access to supported housing
Policy ask : under 35s leaving prison need to be exempted from shared accomm rate
Work well for those who are eligible
Challenge of working and paying high rents for supported housing
Nottingham City are piloting a supported housing for people who need support but want to work/
One of the highest positive accommodation outcomes
Landlords asking for large sums as realise supply is limited.
London has some great GLA projects within the emergency hostel network .
Unrealistic ideas of accommodation options.
Many hold out for social housing
and think this is being witheld from them when actually not available.
Lack of affordable housing
very hard and sometimes impossible to access any housing.
Very high rents and competitive
Not meeting threshold for housing duty
people often don't meet criteria for accommodation
under HRA or Housing legislation
Poor quality of suppoted housing
Some LAs reviewing as not all actually offering support
Prejudice against offenders
Some landlords won't let to offenders due to perceptions
Cannot offer if the case is closed at the end of the 56 days under HRA
Can the afeo fund be expanded to be spent on deposits even after the HRA case is closed.
Too many appointments on day of release
Overwhelming and/or logistically impossible.
Reduced requirements on day of release
remove need for appointment on day 1 for low risk
It would be helpful for low risk offences, for probation to remove the need for a 1st Probation appointment on the day of release,
One-stop shops and hubs good model for day of release
e.g Newham Transition to Adulthood & Doncaster
Minimum standards of support for people leaving prison
they know they are entitled
Need for life skills support for some
Some prison leavers have little experience of managing housing, job etc and need support.
Essential but not on offer in all locations
Need to have script on release
Improving how plan for people to return to their families and friends
Local area protocols and standards
E.g Worcestershire protocol
National standards Scotland's SHORE protocol
Lack of notice of release
Especially when on remand but can be any sentence.
Housing Justice provides RIA, Deposit and Incentives and have a great website
SPECIFIC GOOD PRACTICE EXAMPLE
CHALLENGES ON ENTERING PRISON/REMAND
CHALLENGES DURING SENTENCE
CHALLENGES PRIOR TO RELEASE
CHALLENGES ON OR AFTER RELEASE
CHALLENGES ACCESSING HOUSING SUPPLY
Arrest is another key moment
Not always preventing rent arrears/loss of tenancy on arriva l
Can be due to lack of expertise
Need embedded specialists in prison Can prevent loss of tenancy - works better than in-reach
Can be difficult to access move-on so homelessness postponed not prevented
Examples of projects taking properties and subletting and/or offeringguarantees
Important to have LE in support roles
Need to trust orgs to resolve issues.
to give proper support and also encourage landlords
Cost of service charges Very hard to leave hostels/start work due to high service charges
Ensure staff in different spaces understand one another
Sharing professional knowledge
Holding meetings in diff locations.
Hope Street Project, Southampton
TIC space for women leaving prison
Some prisoners don't prioritise pre-release meetings Would prefer to go to gym etc
Pre-release panels in prison
Meetings held from 12 weeks prior to look at all options
Can continue for up to 6 months. Need correct advice to claim
Short sentences challenging
No time to engage in training, programmes etc
No time to work with people in for very short times
Recall task and finish group
Groups with strategic focus as well as working on individual cases
Prison release stakeholder groups
Strategic groups as well as operational. Lots of examples
DWP paying 6 months upfront in some areas
Pre-release panels externally
Bring together partners 12 weeks ahead to discuss cases
BUT outcomes depend on resources available Worcester
Kent has both in-prison and external meetings that communicate with one another
Bristol women's Pre-release panel
Work closely with women's prison to identify upcoming releases
Can see releases without registering.
3. Prison service officer within 5 days
DWP Outreach workers in some prisons
All agencies should be encouraged to do this.
Prison Employment Leads, Employment hubs, New Futures Network
Resettlement markets work well
Northumberland looking into this.
Prison leaver specialist teams in prisons
intensive support for repeat offenders has had 65% success.
trying to coordinate support and shape release. 65% of cases they have worked with have stopped being recalled.
For people leaving prison esp with multiple disadvantage
Pathways for some prisoners in some areas - not others
Sentencing in some areas taking place at 5pm when little opportunity for appointments
Need benefits set up prior to release
Can be good for doing house viewings prior to release
Cheaper to prevent loss of tenancy than have to re-house on release.
Newly commissioned remand service
Picks people up on entry with some success.
Guaranteeing rent and condition
Taking on property from landlord directly with guarantees then subletting
Importance of Lived Experience workers
working with lived experience gives people hope
Need good lead in time for people on longer sentences
Not prepared for life outside life skills etc
Challenging sharing medical information
So people don't always get support needed
Have been really positive in some areas - direct point of contact .
DTR direct point of contact
RSAP funding has allowed flexibility to focus on prison release
Creation of HMOs in some areas
Crisis Renting Ready training
Crisis and SHS have developed 12 week course
based on Renting Ready to roll out across prisons
Key trained and prison clearance for LA Staff
Can visit onsite without needing much support
AFEO funding posts in prison
In some areas has alleviated pressure on prison staff
Using existing prison facilities to prep people for release
and utilising lounges within prisons
Needed for 56 days or less
Specialist training offer for HMPPS
SHS have developed training on housing legislation.
in one area to look at what is bresking down and how systems dont align
Sentence end date releases lack support
Lack options as no probation requirement
Training package for sentence end date
Group across 7 areas offered 1 month training.
Holding discussions with the men about useful referrals
Rehab and recovery pathway
At Styall to prepare women for release into recovery services
Sharing medical information
Liaison work to improve data sharing with health providers
- Confusion about who does the DTR
Training in some prisons to improve quality of DTRs
Some local authorities accepting DTRs based on court hearing date
Creating Future Opportunities Hubs
Evolution Hubs. Training available including housing. 12 week course
SHS attending courses to do myth busting. One prison has trained lifers as Peer Mentors.
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