Learning from projects working with ex-offenders

Transcription

1 Learning from projects working with ex-offenders The Big Lottery Fund July 2013 Arrivo Consulting Ltd 42 Miller Street Glasgow G1 1DT

2 Contents Introduction... 3 Methodology... 3 Limitations of the research... 4 Context for the study... 5 Overview of the case study projects... 7 Approaches to reducing reoffending Overview of approaches Approach and rationale of the case study projects Short sentenced prisoners Addressing worklessness Addressing Homelessness Building social capital and social inclusion Young people - Addressing attitudes and behaviours Women ex-offenders Whole family approach Outcomes and measuring success What outcomes are the projects aiming to achieve? Reduction in reoffending rates as a measure of success Intermediate outcomes for ex-offenders Outcomes for children and families of ex-offenders How are projects measuring progress toward their outcomes? Self Evaluation: Measuring intermediate outcomes External evaluation Learning from projects working with ex-offenders What works when providing support to different groups of ex-offenders? What are the key challenges when providing support to different groups of exoffenders? Working towards a better understanding of impact The challenges Informing the development of a framework Implications for the Fund

3 Appendix 1: Case Studies The One Service (Peterborough Social Impact Bond) Routes Out of Prison (The Wise Group and partners) Roots and Shoots (Aberdeen Forward) Transition to Employment (Access to Employment Ayr) SPAN (Shelter Scotland in partnership) Ordinary Homes Extraordinary Lives (PSS Scotland) Positive Tracks (Cornerstone) Transitional Support Programme (Includem) Adolescents Leaving the Justice System (Opportunity Youth) Going Home (Gibran) Families Affected by Imprisonment (Circle Scotland) Invisible Walls (G4S Care and Justice UK Ltd) Appendix 2: List of Outcomes Appendix 3: Consultees Appendix 4: References

4 Introduction The Big Lottery Fund (the Fund) in Scotland has recently funded a number of projects that are providing different types of support to ex-offenders to help them make the transition back to society and discourage recidivism. In order to learn from the different approaches taken by these and other similar projects that the Fund has funded across the UK, the Fund commissioned Arrivo Consulting Ltd to develop case studies of 12 different projects. The aim of the case studies is: to explore the diverse approaches that projects adopt to working with different groups of ex-offenders and the rationale for these approaches; and to understand more about how the projects evaluate the work they are engaged in and how they demonstrate progress and success in meeting outcomes. The case studies are attached in Appendix 1. This report provides an overview of the findings identified through the research and in particular focuses on: The approaches that projects take to working with specific groups of exoffenders and the rationale for those approaches. The outcomes that the projects are aiming to achieve and how they measure success. The learning from the projects: What works and what are the challenges when providing support to different groups of ex-offenders? The report concludes with a review of the issues in measuring the outcomes of work aimed at reducing reoffending and with suggestions for developing a model evaluation framework. Methodology The 12 projects which have been developed as case studies were chosen by the Fund and include projects from across the UK. The methodology for development of the case studies was limited to a review of project information held by the Fund. This included project applications, assessment reports, monitoring reports and external evaluations where they were available. In addition, a telephone interview was conducted with each of the casestudy projects. We also carried out a limited review of literature on what works to reduce reoffending. This was by no means a systematic literature review, but merely provided a context for the findings of the review of case studies. 3

5 Limitations of the research The research for the case studies was confined to a review of literature and a telephone interview with the project. The case studies therefore provide an overview of the approach, the rationale, the delivery model and the anticipated outcomes, based on the information available. The review of what works is also based on information provided by the projects, and is not based on evaluation of the projects. Additionally, some of the projects have been operating for a short time only and it is still too early to identify the learning at this stage. 4

6 Context for the study The problems in prisoners lives are often highly complicated and inter-related. They require a co-ordinated multi-agency response, within prison, across the crucial transitions between community and custody, and sustained long after release. Without this, they are likely to fall into the gaps between services. (Social Exclusion Unit, 2002) 1 The challenge of reducing reoffending is that many offenders, especially those who are persistent re-offenders, have multiple and complex needs. There is a very high correlation between persistent offenders and history of social exclusion and disadvantage. Many prisoners have poor skills and little experience of employment (almost one in eight prisoners says they have never had a job), few positive social networks, severe housing problems, and all of this is often severely complicated by drug, alcohol and mental health problems. Other research also indicates that institutionalisation among persistent re-offenders resulted in a sense of hopelessness and fatalism about their ability to change. The complexity and diversity of the problems faced by offenders mean that there is no 'one-size fits all' approach to reducing reoffending. Research suggests that the factors which influence offending behaviour are different for different 'client groups' and also highlight that the factors which reduce reoffending are often specific to the individual. Consequently, interventions that work well in one context may work less well in others. However, there is a growing body of evidence of the factors that contribute to reoffending. Building on criminological and social research, the Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) identified nine key factors: education; employment; drug and alcohol misuse; mental and physical health; attitudes and self-control; institutionalisation and life-skills; housing; financial support and debt; and family networks. There is also a growing body of evidence which demonstrates the impact of addressing these factors on reducing the risk of reoffending. For example, research shows that: 1 Reducing reoffending by ex-prisoners; Social Exclusion Unit

7 Employment reduces the risk of reoffending by between a third and a half. Stable accommodation reduces the risk of reoffending by a fifth. Having family ties can reduce the likelihood of reoffending by 39 per cent. Research shows that strengthening personal identity and fostering a sense of belonging can make a significant contribution to supporting ex-offenders in desisting from reoffending. However, the research also suggests that support to ex-offenders needs to be joined up to address the range of complex and inter-related issues which contribute to reoffending. The projects which have been explored as part of this study highlights a crosssection of approaches aimed reducing reoffending in different target groups of offenders. The study is not intended as an assessment of the most effective approaches for each client group, but rather represents an overview of the diverse approaches that are currently funded by the Fund across the UK. 6

8 Overview of the case study projects There are twelve projects within this study. This section provides an overview of the twelve projects, with summary information on the project focus and the profile of the ex-offenders that it targets. Full case studies which outline the project approach and rationale, the delivery model, the outcomes it seeks to deliver, and details of how the project measures progress toward outcomes, are provided in Appendix 1. Project name Target group Project description The One Service (Peterborough Social Impact Bond) Short-sentenced prisoners released from Peterborough Prison The One Service is funded via a Social Impact Bond, a unique outcome focused funding model. The One Service engages prisoners while still in custody and provides proactive support through and beyond the gate and into the community. The delivery model is personalised and needs-led. The flexibility of the funding system allows the One Service to commission services to meet identified needs. Routes out of Prison Roots and Shoots Workstyle Project Transitions to Employment Short-sentenced prisoners in prisons in Scotland Male prisoners in Craiginches Prison, Aberdeen Ex-offenders subject to a noncustodial sentence in South and East ROOP is a bridging model of support which engages prisoners while still in custody and provides at the gate and through the gate support through peer advisors to assist ex-offenders to access services to address the range of issues which affect them. Engages offenders in employability training while they are still in custody in HMP Craiginches. On release, ex-offenders move directly into a paid six-month work placement with Aberdeen Forward. The project is aimed at ex-offenders who are subject to Community Service Orders (CSOs) and Community Payback Orders (CPOs). It delivers a personalised programme over a period of six to nine months to build employability skills and support clients to access employment. 7

9 The SPAN (Supporting Prisoners Advice Network) Ordinary Homes, Extraordinary Lives Positive Tracks The Transitional Support Programme ADJUST Ayrshire Offenders in Aberdeen, Perth, and Inverness prisons, and their families. Young offenders (aged 16-17) who are homeless on release from Polmont Young Offenders Institute. Offenders with additional learning support needs. Young people between 14 and 24. Young Offenders (Northern Ireland) The project aims to avoid homelessness through the provision of housing advice and support to prisoners and their families. The project also provides throughcare support for those offenders with more complex needs to assist them to access specialist agencies in the community to address their needs. The project provides supported accommodation through an approach based on the adult placement model (which has traditionally been used for supporting adults with learning difficulties). The young person is placed in a family home, and the mentor supports the young person to develop life skills, to engage in family and community activities, and to participate in employability training to build a prosocial lifestyle. The project provides supported accommodation for up to 12 months. Each participant is also supported to develop life skills, employability skills and to engage in local activities to assist them to resettle within the community and to develop positive relationships. The Transitional Support Programme provides support to young people who have been involved in the criminal justice system, either through statutory orders or the Children s Hearing system. It is a community based programme which provides support over a six to nine month period through prosocial role modelling, emotional and practical support, and advocacy and brokerage to help the young person engage with other services. A throughcare service which engages young offenders six weeks pre-release and provides community based support for up to six months post-release. The approach focuses on supporting changes in attitudes and behaviours, building resilience and coping strategies to prevent relapses among young people. 8

10 Going Home Families Affected by Imprisonment Invisible Walls Female exoffenders (in Wales) Offenders and families of offenders in Addiewell Prison (Scotland). Offenders and families of offenders in Parc Prison (Wales) The project supported female ex-offenders throughout Wales to transition back into the community following release from prison. The project provided peer support to ex-offenders to develop the life skills and social support that they needed to address their needs and to engage positively in their community. The project takes a whole family approach and seeks not only to reduce reoffending but also to deliver better life chances for children and families affected by imprisonment.. It supports the offender and family to develop skills and strategies to improve both their parenting practices and their capacity to deal with everyday life. The project operates a whole family approach. It works with the entire family and delivers targeted interventions to both the prisoner and family for up to 12 months pre-release and six months post release. 9

11 Approaches to reducing reoffending Overview of approaches While each of the case study projects has an ultimate objective of reducing reoffending, the projects demonstrate a range of different approaches and have a focus on addressing different factors associated with re-offending. Some of the projects take a holistic approach to the multiple and complex needs of ex-offenders. They seek to access the services and support that ex-offenders need to make the transition from prison into the community and work to support ex-offenders post-release to access and co-ordinate services to address their needs in the community. Some of the projects have a greater focus on addressing one or more of the specific factors which are known to contribute to the likelihood of a prisoner reoffending, such as employment or housing. While these projects focus on addressing practical needs they provide access to other services aimed at meeting the wider needs of ex-offenders. Other projects operate from a different theory of change and have a greater focus on addressing the less tangible issues which contribute toward offending behaviour (lack of social skills and problem solving skills, criminal attitudes poor family relationships and criminal social networks). These projects focus on the development of social capital developing positive social relationships and networks and participation in prosocial activities - as the mechanism to support individuals to develop a non-criminal identity and develop prosocial lifestyles. Some of these projects focus on the improving the attitudes, motivations, personal and social skills that contribute to reoffending behaviour. These approaches aim to build personal and social skills, communication and coping skills which build resilience and enhance the ability of ex-offenders to respond to and cope with life events and social situations. These approaches often include practical support to minimise the harm of risk-taking behaviours and relapse prevention which involves specific planning to avoid the triggers which result in offending behaviour. The case studies also provide examples of projects which work not only with the offender but also with their families, taking a whole family approach to reducing reoffending. These approaches seek to address reoffending by rebuilding family ties to aid re-integration of the ex-offender into their family and community. However, the whole family approach recognises that families and children are also affected by parental imprisonment, and these approaches not only aim to reduce reoffending but also to mitigate the harm to children and families and in some cases address intergenerational offending. 10

12 Approach and rationale of the case study projects The case study projects represent a spectrum of approaches. The following section provides a brief outline of the project approaches and the rationale which underpins these approaches. Short sentenced prisoners Two of the case study projects focus on addressing the issue of high rates of reconviction of prisoners serving short-term sentences. The One Service, which works with prisoners released from Peterborough Prison, and Roots Out of Prison, which was funded by the Fund between June 2008 and August 2011 to deliver services in seven prisons in Scotland. While short-sentenced prisoners often suffer from multiple and complex needs, they are also the least likely to access help and support: This group is not subject to statutory support or supervision on release. As they are only in custody for short periods, these offenders have limited access to the support programmes which are available within prisons. Statistics show that, as a result, many of these offenders become stuck in the revolving door of prison life. Research suggests that holistic interventions that address multiple criminogenic 2 needs are more likely to be effective in reducing reoffending, but there is strong evidence that provision of practical support in prison is unlikely to have a lasting impact on the risk of reoffending unless it continues upon release. These approaches therefore follow a throughcare model, with on-going support in the community s to access and co-ordinate the services that ex-offenders require to meet their needs. The One Service (Peterborough Social Impact Bond) The One Service approach uses pre and post release mentoring to engage exoffenders in services. Before release, case workers carry out individual assessments to identify individual needs for resettlement. The service provides support at the gate and continues to provide proactive, individualised assistance post-release to help ex-offenders to connect with services and support in the community to address their multiple needs. The One Service also provides support in the community to families of offenders. The One Service is funded via a Social Impact Bond, a unique outcome focused funding model. The flexibility of the funding model means that the delivery model is flexible and needs-led. The One Service can purchase one-off interventions to meet the needs of specific clients, or develop a new service where a gap is identified. 2 Needs are considered criminogenic when they contribute directly towards offending. 11

13 Routes out of Prison The Routes out of Prison project is also a bridging model of support which engages prisoners while still in custody and provides at the gate and through the gate personalised support to access the range of services required by exoffenders. The model uses peer advisors to engage and support ex-offenders, both in prison and in the community. The project also provides emotional support to families of offenders and practical support to access services in the community. Addressing worklessness Research has shown that gaining employment can reduce the risk of reoffending by between a third and a half. However, research also highlights that where ex-offenders have multiple needs, it is important that support is appropriately sequenced: for example, employment, while critical in the longer term, is often not a realistic short-term goal until other issues and needs have been addressed. Roots and Shoots Workstyle Project and Transitions to Employment are predominantly employability projects which are targeted at male ex-offenders. These projects focus on building confidence and employability skills to enable exoffenders to move into employment. Both projects access support from Criminal Justice Social Work Teams, or other resources, to support participants to access the wider range of services required to address their multiple barriers to resettlement. The Roots and Shoots Workstyle project The project engages offenders in lifeskills and employability training while they are still in custody in HMP Craiginches. On release, ex-offenders move directly into a paid six-month work placement with Aberdeen Forward. Ex-offenders have employed status while working with Aberdeen Forward. The offer of a 'real job' has been key to engaging offenders in the training while still in custody. During the work placement, ex-offenders also receive additional vocational training and work placements with other employers. The work placements and vocational training are focused on the ex-offenders chosen field of employment. Participants are also supported by Criminal Justice Social Workers, or by other projects which address their wider resettlement needs. Transitions to Employment This project provides individualised employability support to ex-offenders subject to Community Service Orders (CSO s) and Community Payback Orders (CPOs). 12

14 The Transitions to Employment project provides a strong focus on employability for ex-offenders. Each participant has an individual action plan focused on moving toward employment, and the project provides six to nine months of personalised support to work towards their employability goals. The project provides support and guidance but also training to develop softer employability skills. It also provides aftercare once participants have moved into training/employment. The project works in partnership with the Criminal Justice Team in South Ayrshire Council's Social Work Department who provides wider support to the ex-offenders. Addressing Homelessness Links between homelessness and offending are well-established and number of key strategies emphasise the importance of settled housing in contributing to reducing re-offending. Having stable accommodation can also enable ex-offenders to access a range of other services to meet their wider needs which can assist them to address their offending behaviour. Stable accommodation can also influence the ex-offenders ability to get a job. The case study highlights SPAN a project delivered by Shelter to reduce the risk of homelessness among prisoners and their families. Supporting Prisoners Advice Network - SPAN Project SPAN is delivered by Shelter in partnership with Inverness CAB and SACRO. The project primarily aims to support prisoners and their families to avoid homelessness through the provision of housing advice and support. The project also provides a bridge between prison and the community for those with more complex needs by providing a throughcare element, with support workers providing post release support to clients to access specialist agencies. Throughcare services are targeted on those ex-offenders with higher support needs and those who are ineligible for statutory support. Building social capital and social inclusion A number of studies emphasise the importance of building social capital in reducing reoffending. These approaches aim to develop sustained involvement in prosocial lifestyles through rebuilding ties with family, friends and the wider community, developing new prosocial relationships and through participation in prosocial activities. Positive Tracks and Ordinary Homes, Extraordinary Lives are two projects which use this approach. Both projects address homelessness by providing stable accommodation for ex-offenders on release from prison, and aim to support the individual to develop positive relationships and prosocial networks. Both projects also support ex-offenders to develop life-skills and employability skills as a mechanism to support prosocial lifestyles. 13

15 Positive Tracks - ex-offenders with additional learning support needs It is recognised that among the prison population a significant number of people have an identified learning difficulty, mental health issue, or a non-diagnosed learning support need. For people in prison, a learning support need presents an additional barrier to resettlement and often results in a revolving door relationship with the criminal justice system. This project is aimed at providing support to those ex-offender identified as having a learning support need to maximise their capacity to break this cycle. The project provides access to supported accommodation for a period of 12 months. Alongside the supported tenancy, participants receive support to develop confidence and independent living skills, through one-to-one support but also by supporting individuals to engage in activities within their communities. As a result, individuals develop positive relationships, promoting social inclusion and independence which build their confidence and capacity for independent living. Participants are also supported to address other issues and barriers in their lives (for example debt, health, or addictions). Participants also engage in a bespoke employability programme aimed at building confidence and employability skills and a pathway towards employment. Ordinary Homes, Extraordinary Lives - young ex-offenders Ordinary Homes, Ordinary Lives, provides supported accommodation for homeless young ex-offenders (aged 16-17) through an approach based on the adult placement model which has traditionally been used for supporting adults with learning difficulties. The model matches a young ex-offender with a mentor who offers supported accommodation in the mentor s family home. The approach offers a secure home environment and a stable family life which many young ex-offenders will not have previously experienced. The approach aims to develop life skills, social skills and communication and coping skills through direct support and prosocial modelling based on positive relationships with the mentor. It also works to improve the social inclusion of exoffenders by encouraging the development of positive social relationships and networks which support individuals to develop social skills and build confidence and self-esteem. Young people are also supported to access employability training to build their capacity for independent living. Young people - Addressing attitudes and behaviours The Transitional Support Project, delivered by Includem in Scotland and the ADJUST project in Northern Ireland are two case study projects which work with young people. Both projects address the lack of prosocial thinking, skills and attitudes which contribute towards offending behaviour among young people and focus on supporting changes in attitudes and behaviours, building resilience and 14

16 coping strategies to prevent relapses into reoffending. The projects also seek to build employability skills as a mechanism to support the young person s pathway towards independent living and prosocial lifestyles. Both projects use a prosocial modelling approach where the relationship between the young person and the key worker is a critical to supporting the young person to change. Both approaches work to address changes identified by the young person, but provide the support and on-going motivation to carry out the self-directed change. Transitional Support Programme Includem delivers the Transitional Support Programme to young people aged 14 to 24. It is a community based programme for young people who have been involved in the criminal justice system, either through statutory orders or the Children s Hearing system. It provides a 'bridge' to independent living for young people who are leaving Compulsory Supervision Requirements, but who still require support to transition in life. The Includem model of practice is based around the relationship between the young person and the worker. This relationship involves prosocial role modelling, and provides emotional and practical support as well as an advocacy and brokerage role to help young people better engage with other services. The project supports young people through crisis events and relapses, to reduce the negative impact of crises on previous achievements and help young people to keep heading in the right direction. It is the relationship with the worker that is key to bringing about change. ADJUST (Adolescents leaving the justice system) ADJUST, delivered by Opportunity Youth in Northern Ireland, is a throughcare service of support for young offenders, aimed at addressing their complex practical needs, but also the lack of lifeskills, attitudes and behaviours which influence their offending. It engages young offenders while still in custody (six weeks pre-release) and provides an intensive 12 session mentoring programme resulting in the development of a personal action plan. This is followed by with an individualised support package that will be available for up to six months post release in the community. Opportunity Youth use motivational interviewing techniques to increase an individual's motivation to make positive changes in their life. For offenders to engage in any process which may lead to change they need to be motivated to embrace that change. Motivational Interviewing has a directive and client centred approach designed to help an individual change their problem behaviour by allowing them to explore and resolve ambivalence which is seen as the primary obstacle to change. The approach recognises that the motivation to change has to come from within or it is unlikely to be sustained, therefore, the underlying power of the motivational 15

17 interviewing technique is that the offender resolves for himself to change the behaviour rather than having it suggested or advised by someone else. Women ex-offenders The profile of women offenders differs from that of male offenders. A different and distinct approach is needed for the rehabilitation of women ex-offenders. Another factor affecting the rehabilitation of women ex-offenders is the small number of women s prisons and their geographical location. This typically results in women being located further from their homes than male offenders, to the detriment of maintaining family ties, receiving visits and resettlement back into the community. The case study highlights Going Home which supports women offenders from Wales to resettle in their communities. Women offenders from Wales serve their sentences in prisons in England as there are no women's prisons in Wales. Going Home Going Home supported female ex-offenders throughout Wales to transition back into the community following release from prison. The project provided peer support to ex-offenders to address the long term challenges of being out and staying out of prison. The approach focused on addressing the damage to female ex-offenders as a result of imprisonment: family breakdown (including losing their children), loss of accommodation, mental health problems, lack of confidence, poor self-esteem, poor communication skills, isolation and disconnect from families and friends. The project operates from a whole person approach, and provides mentoring and group work which provide emotional support, but also build confidence, a sense of mental well-being, positive identity, and increased resilience. The project supports women to address their practical needs, but recognises that for many of the women, their practical needs are inextricably linked to their psychosocial needs. As a result, addressing psychosocial needs and building resilience is the first stage in increasing women s capacity to access the services they required (housing, benefits, children's services) to address practical barriers to resettlement in the community. In common with the One Service (Peterborough Prison) and Routes out of Prison, Going Home uses peer advisors to support ex-offenders. Whole family approach The case studies also provide examples of projects which take a whole family approach to reducing reoffending: Invisible Walls Wales (in Parc Prison) and Fathers Affected By Imprisonment (Addiewell Prison) These projects focus on rebuilding family ties to aid re-integration of fathers into their family and 16

18 community. Families can play a significant role in supporting an offender to make and sustain those changes which reduce reoffending but whole family approaches also recognise that families and children in particular are the hidden victims of imprisonment. Offenders families often have complex needs and that children of offenders risk poorer outcomes than their peers. There is often a high level of intergenerational offending 65% of boys who have a father in prison will go on to offend themselves. The whole family approach therefore seeks to reduce reoffending but also to mitigate the harm to children and families and in some cases address intergenerational offending. Projects adopting this approach work with ex-offenders and their families to develop skills and strategies to improve parenting practices and family relationships, but also support families within their local communities to access services which can address their needs. Invisible Walls Wales The Invisible Walls project has ambitious aims for ex-offenders, but also for the families and children of ex-offenders. It has as its primary aims: to reduce reoffending; to improve the quality of life and positive community inclusion for whole families; and to reduce intergenerational offending with the child participants. The project is unique in that it works with both the offender and the family throughout the entire period of the intervention. The project provides support and interventions to both the prisoner and family for up to 12 months pre-release and six months post release. In the pre-release phase, families come into the prison and the interventions are delivered to the whole family. The family develops a family focused action plan, and the prisoner and the family are therefore working towards the same goals and objectives. The project also works with the family in the community to assist them to access the services they need. Families Affected by Imprisonment (FABI) This project works with fathers who are in prison and their families. The approach aims to develop a non-criminal identity for the ex-offender and works to support him to develop his role and identity as a better father and partner. At the practical level, the project supports the offender to rebuild family ties and supports the offender and family to develop skills and strategies to improve both their parenting practices and their capacity to deal with everyday life. The project also provides practical support to both the offender and the family pre-release and post release to engage with the range of services that they require in order to 17

19 address their wider needs. As a result, the project delivers outcomes for the families and children as well as the ex-offender. 18

20 Outcomes and measuring success What outcomes are the projects aiming to achieve? The case study projects demonstrate the wide variety of approaches to working with different groups of ex-offenders. The approaches reflect different theories of change and address different factors associated with reoffending. While all of the projects seek to contribute to a reduction in reoffending, only a few of the projects have identified a reduction in reoffending rates as a primary outcome. The majority of projects use a number of intermediate outcomes as measures of success. This section explores the type of outcome that case study projects are aiming to achieve. A full list of the anticipated outcomes for each project is included in Appendix 2. Reduction in reoffending rates as a measure of success The One Service (Peterborough Social Impact Bond) provides a holistic approach to reducing reoffending and measures success against a single outcome: a reduction in reoffending rates. Invisible Walls Wales also uses a reduction in reoffending as a key measure of success, (although Invisible Walls Wales also delivers outcomes for children and families as well as ex-offenders) Routes out of Prison and Positive Tracks identify reduction in reconviction rates as a key outcome alongside a number of intermediate outcomes. Intermediate outcomes for ex-offenders While each of the case study projects seek to contribute to a reduction in reoffending rates, the different approaches focus on different factors associated with reoffending and represent different routes in the pathway towards desistance. The different approaches focus on delivering different changes in the ex-offender (or outcomes) and as a result, different approaches also deliver different intermediate outcomes. The projects which seek to address unemployment of ex-offenders as key risk to reoffending (Roots and Shoots Workstyle Project and Transitions to Employment) are measuring outcomes such as: To improve self-confidence amongst participants and remove the perceived barriers to employment. Increasing confidence and skills to engage with job seeking services. Improving employability skills by acquiring work-related skills. Progression into employment, training and education. 19

21 The SPAN (Supporting Prisoners Advice Network) project which aims to address homelessness among prisoners and their families has as a key outcome: Ex-offenders and their families will be enabled to find and keep appropriate housing. Positive Tracks and Ordinary Homes, Extraordinary Lives address homelessness and also aim to build social capital and employability of ex-offenders. These projects include among their outcomes: To be provided with stable accommodation in an Adult Placement setting, and supported to develop independent living skills. To develop increased self-esteem and improved personal responsibility through the development of home and community relationships. To increase the number of ex offenders with learning support needs maintaining a successful tenancy. To increase the number of of ex offenders with learning learning support needs that have a postive relationship with their friends and families. To increase the number of ex-offenders with learning support needs that are in touch with job seeking services. Another group of projects, including The Transitional Support Programme, ADJUST, Going Home, have a greater focus on addressing the less tangible issues which contribute toward offending behaviour. These include lack of basic life skills, lack of prosocial thinking skills, poor emotion management, attitudes and motivation. The outcomes for these projects include: To improve self-esteem, self-confidence, motivation and lifeskills. Ex-offenders are better able to meet life challenges and transitions. Ex-offenders are volunteering and contributing to their communities. To develop coping strategies in dealing with their high risk behaviours and managing negative peer and community. To develop more positive attitudes and behaviours, building resilience and preventing relapses. Young people with strengthened employability skills and increased numbers accessing learning, training or employment. More young people have access to continuous, positive supportive relationships Improved young people s confidence towards independent living. Outcomes for children and families of ex-offenders Other projects within the case studies operate from a whole family approach. These approaches seek to reduce reoffending, but also seek to mitigate the harm caused to children and families by imprisonment. These projects therefore also seek to deliver direct outcomes for children and for families of ex-offenders. 20

22 Outcomes for Invisible Walls Wales included: Increase the quality of life and positive community inclusion for whole families. Impact positively upon the issues relating to intergenerational offending with the child participants. For the Families Affected by Imprisonment project the overarching project outcome is: Children and families affected by imprisonment have improved relationships and increased resilience. How are projects measuring progress toward their outcomes? The previous section highlights the fact that while each of the case study projects seeks to contribute to a reduction in re-offending, reducing reoffending is not the primary measure of success for the majority of projects. Most projects have identified a number of intermediate outcomes which are recognised as contributing toward a reduction in reoffending, and it is these outcomes that the majority of projects are measuring. This section explores the mechanisms for measuring progress toward outcomes. Self Evaluation: Measuring intermediate outcomes The majority of projects are measuring progress toward intermediate outcomes which contribute towards a reduction in re-offending reoffending. All of the projects use self-evaluation techniques to measure intermediate outcomes, in fact self evaluation is mandatory for many of the projects funded by the Fund. e.g. the eight projects funded by the Fund in Scotland under the Investing In Communities programme. The case study projects have identified a number different of intermediate outcomes which reflect the different approaches and theories of change which they adopt. A full list of all of the outcomes that projects are measuring is attached at Appendix 2. The list of outcomes includes both hard and soft outcomes. In general, the hard outcomes are relatively easy to measure (for example, the number of people progressing into employment, education and training). Some of the soft outcomes are also easily measured through the development of indicators e.g. Increasing confidence and skills to engage with job seeking services can be evidenced by counting the number of participants who access services. 21

23 For those projects which focus on addressing the less tangible issues which contribute toward offending behaviour (lack of basic life skills, lack of prosocial thinking skills, low motivation, attitudinal problems, dysfunctional relationships), the outcomes can be more difficult to evidence. A selection of the 'intangible' outcomes cited by the case study projects include: to improve self-esteem, self-confidence, motivation and lifeskills; to develop independent living skills; to develop coping strategies in dealing with their high risk behaviour; to develop more positive attitudes and behaviours, building resilience and preventing relapses; to develop postive relationship with their friends and families; and children and families affected by imprisonment have improved relationships and increased resilience. Projects are using a range assessment tools to identify the needs of participants and to establish a baseline in relation to measuring progress. These assessments inform the development of personal action plans for each participant and progress toward personal goals then provides a measure of 'distance travelled' for each client. While these measurement systems are effective in measuring distance travelled toward the intermediate outcomes for each individual client, they pose challenges in demonstrating impact at the project level. Personal actions plans identify the priorities and goals for each individual, and while measurement can show the extent to which each individual has moved toward their own goals, (the starting point and the progress for each client will be different) it can be difficult to use these systems to measure the cumulative impact project. Some projects are using tools such as the Outcome Star and the Homes Matrix which attempt to provide an objective measure of change and distance travelled so that they can better show the impact of their work at the project level. External evaluation A number of the projects have also commissioned external evaluation. External evaluation is being used for a range of purposes: to verify outcomes; and processes evaluations to identify 'how' and 'why' projects deliver outcomes. Measuring reductions in reoffending rates The literature highlights the difficulties for projects in demonstrating robust evidence of their impact on reducing re-offending rates. This section describes the role of external evaluation in verifying demonstrating outcomes. The One Service is funded by a unique payment by results model which requires verification of its impact on reducing reoffending rates. 22

24 The One Service is funded by social investment raised through a Social Impact Bond (Peterborough Social Impact Bond). A Social Impact Bond (SIB) is a unique approach to improving social outcomes by incentivising non-government investors to invest in programmes that deliver social outcomes. Governments commit to repay investors for improved social outcomes. The Fund is a co-commissioner of outcomes for the Peterborough SIB. The aim of the Peterborough SIB is to reduce the reconviction rates of shortsentence male prisoners leaving HMP Peterborough. Social investors will then be paid based on the observed improvement of reconviction events of the released prisoners. The financial model described above relies on statistical measurement techniques as the basis of the payment mechanism. The payment mechanism is designed to ensure that the commissioners pay investors when an observable change in reconvictions has occurred. To provide robust evidence which will inform the financial model, the Government has commissioned an independent assessor who will be responsible for developing the statistical measurement techniques and carrying out an independent evaluation of the outcomes of the One Service. The measurement technique involves comparing the reconviction rates of all prisoners released from Peterborough Prison with a matched control group of prisoners from other prisons in the UK. The first results will not be available until Year four. Routes out of Prison aimed to achieve a 2%-5% reduction in the return to custody rates of RooP participants over the course of the project. The external evaluation 3 highlighted the methodological problems in producing a robust measure for this outcome. However, using data collected on the SPS database to analyse return to custody rates for clients who engaged at least once in the community and those who did not engage at all, the evaluation showed a 4% reduction in return to custody rates for those who had engaged in the project. Invisible Walls also seeks to measure the reduction in offender participants returning to crime and imprisonment post release. The outcome will be measured through tracking of individual participants through an external evaluation. Process Evaluation The Invisible Walls project is using external evaluation both to identify the impact against the high level outcomes, but also explore the process and contribution which different elements of the project make to the achievement of final outcomes. 3 Evaluation of Routes out of Prison, Criminal Justice Social Work Development Centre for Scotland, University of Edinburgh,

25 The high-level outcomes that the project seeks to deliver are: Reduce the likelihood of offender participants returning to crime and imprisonment post release. Increase the quality of life and positive community inclusion for whole families. Impact positively upon the issues relating to intergenerational offending with the child participants. The external research will therefore identify the impact of the project on exoffenders, on their families and on their children, and explore the extent to which intermediate outcomes influence the achievement of final outcomes. As a result, this evaluation will also inform research on what works in offender rehabilitation. It is also anticipated that the research will provide further evidence of the cost saving which can result from this type of preventative approach. This chapter highlights the range of approaches that case study projects have developed to tackle reoffending. While all of the projects seek to contribute to a reduction in reoffending, the different approaches focus on addressing different factors associated with reoffending, and therefore deliver a range of different intermediate outcomes. While a small number of projects have commissioned external evaluations to demonstrate their impact on 'reduction in re-offending rates', the majority of projects are using self evaluation techniques to demonstrate achievement of these intermediate outcomes. While self evaluation techniques are effective in demonstrating 'individual' journeys and achievement of outcomes, the process of measuring success against the achievement of intermediate outcomes presents some challenges for funders as the extent to which these outcomes contribute towards reducing reoffending is not always clear. 24

26 Learning from projects working with ex-offenders This study is not an evaluation but an overview of twelve different projects which take different approaches to a range of different client groups. As such, it cannot provide an assessment of the efficacy of different approaches or a definitive assessment of 'what works'. The purpose of this section is to highlight some of the critical success factors and the challenges in working with ex-offenders, as identified by the case study projects. What works when providing support to different groups of ex-offenders? While the case study project demonstrate a range of different approaches and work with different client groups, there are a number of universal lessons which be drawn from their collective experiences. Trust based relationships The majority of projects identified a critical success factor in engaging exoffenders in services was the development of a trust based relationship. Continuity of the relationship In many cases, projects also identified continuity of the relationship to be a critical success factor. Many projects engage with offenders while they are still in prison to start to build a relationship with the offender. A number of projects have taken steps to extend the period or intensity of engagement pre-release to develop the relationship. The strength of the relationship is considered to be critical sustaining engagement with the ex-offender in their community to access the services required to address their needs Meet at the gate Many of the projects have identified that the point of release can be a vulnerable time for ex-offenders and one which can result in immediate falling back into old lifestyles (drug, alcohol or peer groups). A number of projects have incorporated meet at the gate services which assist ex-offenders to access services to meet their immediate needs (e.g. accommodation), and to prevent the triggers which could result in relapses into offending behaviour. Belief in capacity to change Research shows that institutionalisation among recidivist prisoners leads to hopelessness and fatalism about their ability to change. The case study projects 25

27 identified a number of factors which were critical to addressing offenders' belief in their own capacity to change: it is important that the projects themselves have a strong ethos and belief in the capacity of ex-offenders to change; approaches which motivate and support ex-offenders to want to change; approaches which support the offender's personal agency; approaches which focus on the development of a new non-criminal identity, e.g. approaches which build on the identity of the participant as a father rather than as an ex-offender. The need for flexibility Ex-offenders have a range of issues and needs and a 'one size fits all' approach is unlikely to be successful. Projects need to be able to respond flexibly to needs. Additionally, the client journey towards rehabilitation is unlikely to be linear. The project model must be flexible enough to allow levels of support to be stepped up during times of crisis. Responsive to individual need Projects identified that the capacity of ex-offenders to address practical issues was often dependent on addressing complex underlying issues. Approaches which take a 'whole person' approach and provide practical support (such as housing, employment, financial and other practical needs ) which is integrated with support to address the social and personal factors which contribute to reoffending appear more likely to be successful in the longer term. Joining up services around the needs of ex-offenders Partnership working and collaboration between providers is crucial in ensuring that services are joined-up and that offenders receive an integrated pathway towards rehabilitation. Projects which are involved in effective strategic partnerships and/or have strong operational links with agencies at the local level have shown that they can increase ex-offenders access to services and join-up services to address their complex issues. Use of peer advisors A number of projects employed peers advisors to provide advice and support exoffenders. Peer advisors bring empathy and tenacity in their approach to working with ex-offenders and are trusted by ex-offenders. Peer endorsement also provides greater credibility for the project. The approach also provides training opportunities for the peer advisors which enhances their own employability. The key lessons identified by the case study projects are reflected in the research on approaches to reoffending. The research also re-iterates the point that while different approaches focus on different factors which contribute towards reoffending, the over-riding success factor is that approaches must be integrated to ensure that ex-offenders can access a joined-up pathway of support which addresses their personal, social and circumstantial needs. 26

28 What are the key challenges when providing support to different groups of ex-offenders? The case study projects identified a number of challenges which act as barriers to delivering outcomes for ex-offenders. Lack of hope A key challenge in working with persistent offenders is that many have lost hope and belief in themselves and their capacity to change. Recognising progress A challenge for the projects that address the more intangible issues (confidence, self-esteem, attitude change) is that it is often difficult for clients to recognise the 'steps' they have taken. Equally, it can be difficult to evidence progress in these outcomes to funders. Challenge of maintaining engagement with ex-offenders within the community While throughcare approaches which provide a bridge from prison into the community have recognised strengths, it can be challenging to maintain engagement with ex-offenders in the community. A number of case study projects identified that many ex-offenders engage until their practical needs have been met, but do not maintain engagement through the longer term process of behaviour change. The case study projects also identified a number of challenges in the external environment which impact on the capacity to deliver outcomes for ex-offenders. Gaps in services for ex-offenders Projects reported that there were often gaps in local services (for example, the availability of suitable housing) which acted as barriers to successful rehabilitation into the community. Responsiveness of other services Projects reported that some local services were unable or unwilling to respond with timescales which were often critical for ex-offenders (for example, at the point of release). Inability to access key services at these critical stages can create trigger points for ex-offenders which can push them towards crises and possibly result in reoffending. Beliefs and values Projects also reported that negative attitudes towards engaging with ex-offenders among other professionals and negative beliefs about the capacity of individuals to change often resulted in poor levels of service to ex-offenders.. Economic climate For those projects which aim to support ex-offenders into jobs, the worsening economic climate has reduced the supply of employment opportunities, which 27

29 makes it even more difficult for ex-offenders, many of whom have a range of barriers, to achieve job outcomes. 28

30 Working towards a better understanding of impact The case studies highlight considerable diversity in approaches to working with exoffenders by projects funded by the Fund across the UK. The case studies have also highlighted the different theories of change that underpin these different approaches. We have also seen that while some of the projects have the primary outcome of 'reducing reoffending rates' other projects deliver aim to deliver a range of intermediate outcomes which are predicted to contribute to reducing reoffending. As a result, although projects are self-evaluating, they are demonstrating progress against a range of different outcomes which makes it difficult for funders to assess the impact on reducing reoffending, to compare approaches and to learn about what works. The Fund has therefore also asked us to consider the development of a model evaluation framework for projects working with ex-offenders which would enable more effective measurement of impact and learning. This final chapter of the report makes some suggestions which could inform the development of such a framework. The challenges There are significant challenges in measuring the impact of approaches to reoffending. Some of the key challenges are: Methodological problems The vast majority of funded projects operate at a relatively small scale. It is difficult to carry out robust quantitative evaluation of small projects to show their impact on reoffending as robust methodologies (for example, Randomised Control Trials) require large numbers of service users and non-users. Attribution As projects frequently deliver activities which form part of a wider approach to tackling reoffending, it can be difficult to attribute a reduction in reoffending to a particular intervention. Measuring progress the relationship between the achievement of intermediate outcomes and desistance Different approaches operate from distinct theories of change. They address different elements in the pathway towards desistance and deliver different intermediate outcomes. Intermediate outcomes are diverse some are hard outcomes such as employment, others are soft outcomes such as improving relationships. However, even when projects are successful in achieving intermediate outcomes, the relationship between the intermediate outcomes and desistance is not always clear and not always measureable. 29

31 Informing the development of a framework Despite the recognised difficulties in measuring the impact of activities aimed at reducing reoffending, there is a growing body of evidence based about what works which demonstrates that certain intermediate outcomes are strongly correlated to longer term reductions in reoffending. This evidence is being used to develop frameworks which are being used by commissioners to fund interventions which provide a clear link with the intermediate outcomes, and which will, in the longer term influence reoffending. In Scotland, such a framework 4 has been developed to support the Scottish Government s Reducing Reoffending Programme. The Reducing Reoffending Change Fund is one of three change funds created by the Scottish Government to help drive a decisive shift towards preventative spending. It aims to reduce reoffending by providing offenders with substantial one-to-one support through evidence-based mentoring schemes. To support phase two of the Reducing Reoffending Programme, Scottish Government analysts have reviewed evidence on the effectiveness of different approaches to reduce reoffending 5. The Change Fund has used the evidence to identify the characteristics of mentoring schemes that are most likely to be effective in reducing offending. This will enable the fund to ensure that it is supporting mentoring interventions rooted in high-quality evidence of what can work. The framework identifies ten factors which are linked to the risk of reoffending and the intermediate outcomes associated with addressing these factors. It also recommends approaches that have been proven to work in addressing these factors, and highlights some approaches which have been identified as promising, but where more evidence is needed. It should be noted that these promising approaches relate only to mentoring, as this particular framework was been developed to inform the Reducing Reoffending Change Fund which will fund mentoring approaches. An excerpt of the framework is included below. (Source: Scottish Government, Reducing Reoffending Change Fund Updated Guidance for Years 2 and 3 Guidance) 4 Reducing Reoffending Change Fund Updated Guidance for Years 2 and 3. The Scottish Government, What works to reduce reoffending: a summary of the evidence, Scottish Government, October

32 Risks to reoffending (evidence-based) Limited social skills, problem-solving skills and poor emotion management Criminal attitudes Criminal friends Lack of positive recreation or leisure activities /antisocial lifestyle Desired Intermediate outcomes Skills in problem solving and perspective taking Emotion management skills Development of prosocial attitudes and a non-criminal identity Criminal friends replaced by prosocial friends and associates Participation in prosocial recreational activities, sense of reward from prosocial recreation and sustained involvement in prosocial lifestyle Approaches that work to address the risk Structured CBT programmes such as cognitive skills training Restorative Justice Conferencing Structured CBT programmes such as cognitive skills training and cognitive restructuring techniques More evidence needed More evidence needed Promising approaches but more evidence needed No evidence identified but trained mentors could help offenders engage in CBT programmes Prosocial modelling, positive mentor and staff interactions Mentors challenge anti-social attitudes Mentoring, circles of support and accountability (for sex offenders) No evidence identified but mentors could aim to engage offenders in prosocial activities Drug misuse Substance use reduced or stopped CBT behavioural programmes designed for drug dependant offenders Detoxification, opiate substitution therapy (for acquisitive opiate-addicted offenders), psycho-social support to maintain 31 No evidence identified but mentors could help offenders engage with drug programmes

33 Alcohol misuse Dysfunctional family relationships Unemployment Homelessness Reduced alcohol use or stopped drinking, reduced disturbances promoted by drinking Conflict reduced, positive relationships, enhanced warmth and caring; reintegration into (non criminal) social and family groups Strengthened family ties improving family and intimate relationships, improving parenting behaviours and increasing acceptance into communities and social networks Work skills, good interpersonal relationships at work, reward and satisfaction at work Long term employment and increased employment skills Finding and keeping suitable housing 32 abstinence, 12 step programmes, structured therapeutic communities focusing on substance misuse More evidence needed Therapeutic approaches for young adult offenders that involve the family Employment-focussed programmes in which offenders can secure real jobs they enjoy. More evidence needed Mentors could help offenders engage with promising programmes which address the interaction between alcohol and violence No evidence identified but mentors could help young offenders engage with therapeutic approaches. Mentors could also help offenders engage in promising approaches, namely relationship coaching interventions and they could also facilitate family visits to prison. Gaining work related qualifications, gaining employability skills Work related mentoring No evidence identified but mentors could assist homeless offenders to find homes and retain them.

34 Low motivation and/or self-efficacy Offenders are highly motivated to engage with supervisors and interventions and offenders are confident they have the skills to desist from crime Offenders build positive trusting relationships with skilled, empathetic and flexible mentors; Collaborative goal-setting No evidence identified 33

35 A similar framework has been developed by the National Offender Management Service 6 (NOMS) to inform commissioning of services for ex-offenders in England and Wales. It identifies a group of reoffending factors and desired intermediate outcomes that are common to both frameworks. Both frameworks recognise that the evidence base in relation to which approaches most effectively deliver each intermediate outcome is weak in some places. Therefore the existing frameworks are not finalised but in many respects are a work in progress. The Scottish Government is appointing external evaluation managers to evaluate the activities delivered under the Reducing Reoffending Change Fund. The evaluation of this fund will build evidence of the outcomes that mentoring approaches deliver and how those outcomes contribute to reducing reoffending. NOMS has also recently commissioned two new pieces of work which aim to develop the evidence base on how different activities deliver intermediate outcomes, and how these intermediate outcomes influence desistence. These are: Identifying and measuring intermediate outcomes of family based approaches NOMS 7 has commissioned New Philanthropy Capital (NPC), along with the Institute of Criminal Policy Research to identify and test intermediate outcomes of work to improve the family and peer relationships of offenders. This work is supported by a number of voluntary and community sector: Action for Prisoners' Families, Ormiston Children and Families Trust and Safe Ground. It is anticipated that the output of this work will result in the development of a new toolkit for organisations to measure the short term impact of their work on rehabilitating offenders. Defining and measuring intermediate outcomes of arts and mentoring approaches A parallel project is being led by RAND Europe, in partnership with ARCS (UK), University of Glamorgan and NACRO, focusing on arts and mentoring work with offenders. The research will develop and test intermediate outcome measures which are directly or indirectly associated with reductions in reoffending. Implications for the Fund In conclusion, it would appear that the commissioning frameworks which have been discussed in the previous section could provide a useful basis for the 6 NOMS Commissioning Intentions for Negotiation Document (National Offender Management Service, October 2012) 7 The National Offender Management Service is an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Justice. Its role is to commission and provide offender services in the community and in custody in England and Wales. 34

36 development of an evaluation framework which would enable the Fund to better assess the impact of the diverse projects and approaches that it funds. The frameworks identify the key risks to reoffending and the intermediate outcomes which are strongly correlated to longer term reductions in reoffending. Project level evaluation is then focused on demonstrating progress in achieving these intermediate outcomes (rather than trying to demonstrate the impact on reoffending). While this approach will not provide a perfect solution to the problem of measuring impact (there are still inconsistencies in the way intermediate outcomes are measured) it will provide a greater clarity for projects and for funders of the expected (intermediate) outcomes of projects that work with ex-offenders. Setting clearer project outcomes at the outset should also drive an improvement in evaluation and as a result provide a more effective basis for funders to assess the impact of individual projects and to learn about what works. The added value of adopting such a framework is that it can also be used to inform funding decisions. Using the framework to inform the assessment of applications in future could assist the Fund in targeting funding on interventions which focus on delivering the desired intermediate outcomes and that are most likely to contribute to a reduction in reoffending in the long term. However, it must be recognised that the commissioning frameworks are not complete and that the evidence base is weak in some areas in relation to which approaches most effectively deliver the desired intermediate outcomes. Work is ongoing to develop the evidence base and there may also be a role for the Fund to contribute to the development of the evidence base by ensuring that projects are subjected to high quality external process evaluations. Effective process evaluations will add to the development of robust theories of change and to a better understanding of how different activities deliver intermediate outcomes. They will also provide insight into why and how interventions work or do not work, and the contexts in which they do or do not work. 35

37 Appendix 1: Case Studies The One Service (Peterborough Social Impact Bond) Project Name: The One Service Delivered by: Social Finance The One Service is funded by social investment raised through a Social Impact Bond (Peterborough Social Impact Bond). The Big Lottery Fund is a co-commissioner of outcomes for the SIB. Duration of funding: The project started in September Services will be offered to short-sentenced prisoners for about six years and then there will be two subsequent years of measurement. Introduction Social Finance designed Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) to raise investment to fund preventative social programmes. SIBs are based on a contract with government in which they commit to pay for improved social outcomes. The Peterborough Social Impact Bond was developed by Social Finance. It was the first SIB in the world. The aim of the Peterborough Social Impact Bond is to reduce re-offending rates among adult male short-sentenced prisoners released from Peterborough prison. Social Finance has designed and manages an innovative service delivery model known as the One Service to achieve this aim. The One Service supports short sentenced male prisoners by offering early engagement, through and beyond the gate delivery, and proactive, individualised support in the community to address needs and reduce re-offending. The One Service began in September It will operate over a period of six years, and will offer intensive interventions to 3,000 short-sentenced prisoners from Peterborough prison. The need for the project The need for the project is based on research which shows that reoffending rates amongst short term prisoners are high: around 60% are convicted of at least one offence in the year after release; and each short sentenced prisoner who reoffended after release in 2007 was convicted, on average, of five further offences within the year. However, short sentence offenders (those on a sentence of under 12 months) do not usually receive probation support after their release. 36

38 The Social Impact Bond is an innovative financial mechanism which is testing a long-term preventative approach to the issue of re-offending. Although there have been a number of projects and programmes aimed at reducing re-offending, previous approaches have been weakened by short-termism and a focus on output driven programmes. Programmes for short sentenced prisoners tended to be piecemeal and inconsistently funded. Short term programmes did not allow any time to learn and evolve. Programmes were often funded to deliver a predetermined service which didn t always meet the individual and complex nature of client needs. Outputs-based contracts encourage a focus on quick wins for individuals and not on sustainable rehabilitation it also focuses on working with the easiest client rather than encouraging providers to work with the offenders who cause the highest volume of crime. The Social Impact Bond is an outcome focused funding model. It was developed to address the need for longer term funding to deal with preventative and longer term approaches to social issues. The Social Impact Bond is unique in that it provides a vehicle for investment in social issues investors receive a return on investment depending on the achievement of social outcomes. The Social Impact Bond has raised 5m from investors. This is new funding to the sector. The approach and rationale The funding approach The success of the One Service will be measured by a reduction in reconviction events by all of the short sentenced prisoners from Peterborough prison whether or not they engage with the service. The funding model therefore drives the delivery model to: develop cost effective delivery models which focus on the achievement of outcomes (not just outputs); and engage with the entire target population, including those who are the most prolific reoffenders, rather than focusing on quick wins. The payment structure also encourages contractors to engage clients over a longer period than usual, as outcomes are measured over a year post release. The delivery model The delivery model seeks to engage short-term prisoners while they are in prison and offers individualised support through the gate and in the community to address their individual needs. The model recognises the impact of imprisonment on the family of the offender and provides support in the community to the families of offenders. 37

39 The simple power of the Social Impact Bond model is that the funding is flexible and can be directed on a case by case basis to meet the needs of the service users. The delivery model is therefore fluid the interventions are adapted to meet the needs of ex-offenders and in response to what works. The One Service initially contracted four organisations, St. Giles Trust, Ormiston Children and Families Trust, YMCA and SOVA, to deliver its core activities. Additional services and interventions are then commissioned to meet emerging needs of the participants. The project Pre release The project engages with offenders while they are still in HMP Peterborough, which is operated by Sodexo Justice Services. Participation in the project is voluntary. One of the key mechanisms for engaging offenders has been through a team of voluntary peer advisors. These volunteers are longer stay prisoners who are trained by St Giles Trust and achieve NVQ level 3 in advice and guidance. They promote the One Service to short stay prisoners and encourage them to participate. Once short stay prisoners have agreed to participate, caseworkers (from the St Giles Trust) meet with the prisoners and carry out an assessment of their resettlement needs. The assessment identifies the prisoner s support needs for his release and results in the development of an action plan. The assessment will consider a wide range of needs including accommodation, medical services, family support, employment and training, benefits and financial advice. St Giles and SOVA will decide who will take the lead based on the level of client need and risk. The One Service begins to develop relationships with participants while they are still in prison. The level of engagement with prisoners while still in prison depends on the length of their sentence and their intensity of needs. (The average length of sentence for prisoners in the first year cohort was seven weeks). Volunteers from SOVA may also visit prisoners during this period to develop a relationship with them prior to release. If the prisoner has concerns about his family s welfare, the caseworker will refer the family to Ormiston Children and Family Trust who can support the family in the community. Ormiston Children and Family Trust also deliver a parenting course for prisoners while they are still in prison which has facilitated a greater level of engagement with prisoners families in the community. They will also deliver the course in the community as many of the ex-offenders are not in prison long enough to attend the course there. The YMCA provides gym and personal fitness sessions. These are aimed at encouraging healthier lifestyles but also at building routine and structure into the 38

40 lives of offenders. Free access to the community gym is also available to One Service clients on release. Release In the first year, the project provided a meet at the gate service on demand. 63% of participants were met at the gate. In the second year, the meet at the gate service was provided even when not requested, to encourage further engagement with the project post-release. Post release On release, The One Service engages with the ex-offender and provides direct support to deal with their needs and barriers to resettlement (accommodation, housing, debt etc). They will also seek to support ex-offenders to access other services in the community. Ormiston provides parenting courses in the community for those ex-offenders to assist them to build positive family relationships. Ormiston also provides ongoing support to the families after the release date. The model provides for long-term support for ex-offenders for a 12 months after first release. After the immediate needs have been addressed, ongoing support (at a reduced level of intensity) is provided by volunteer mentors who support the exoffenders to achieve their longer term goals. SOVA recruit, train and supervise the One Service volunteer mentors. Engagement with the local Peterborough community has been instrumental in securing a wide range of additional services for the clients, including training and local support groups. As needs are identified, One Service starts to identify local resources or develop new provision to meet those needs. For example, the project identified the need for some purposeful activities to give ex-offenders more structure to their day. One Service in conjunction with other local providers has established a programme of purposeful activity interventions in response to this need (fishing, football etc). Not all participants maintain engagement with the project after their initial needs have been met, so the One Service also provides a 24 hour telephone line, to allow all participants to re-engage with the services when they need them. This allows participants who have lost touch with the project to re-engage with services in the event of problems or crises. The project also maintains a website and facebook page. Often family members and ex-offenders themselves use these mechanisms to re-connect with the One Service. Outcomes The outcome that the Social Impact Bond seeks to deliver is a reduction in reoffending. 39

41 Measuring Success The project has a very clear measure of success. Success will be measured by a reduction of reconviction events by all 3000 short-sentenced prisoners from Peterborough prison over a six year period whether or not they engage with the service. The reduction in reconviction rates is measured by the combined number of all reconviction events within a 12 month period after release. Each cohort (which takes on average two years to be released from prison) will be compared by an independent assessor to a similar group of prisoners across the England and Wales whose offending is recorded on the Police National Computer. The first results will not be available until Year four (2014). Although it is too early to assess the impact on re-offending rates, evidence from the first year of operation shows that the One Service is achieving positive levels of early engagement with prisoners. In the first year (September 2010 to September 2011): 537 prisoners were released from HMP Peterborough; Of these, 88% engaged with the project while still in prison (i.e. had an assessment) The One Service has developed a bespoke data management and reporting system which is critical to informing the development of the programme and to the analysis how the One Service approach delivers successful outcomes. The data management system records client profile, client needs, the client s engagement with the programme and the interventions that he receives. It also records data on progress toward personal goals. Interrogation of the data provides evidence of the needs of the client group, which enables the One Service to plan bespoke services to meet these needs. The data system can also produce detailed analyses of results for client groups with different needs, and will therefore provide an invaluable tool in the analysis of what works in reducing re-offending rates with exoffenders. The data produced by the One Service also adds value for other partners. The One Service shares its learning with statutory and voluntary sector partners and information produced by the One Service is already informing local strategies and practices in partner agencies. Learning about what works The delivery model Engaging offenders pre-release Participation in the project is voluntary, not mandatory.. Much of the success of the One Service in engaging short sentenced prisoners in the project is down to the 40

42 role of the Connections Workers who are longer sentenced prisoners who have been trained to provide advice and guidance. The use of peer advisors to promote the programme gives it credibility among the offenders. An additional benefit of the peer advisor element of the project has been the personal development impact on the peer advisors: Two volunteer Connections peer advisors have recently achieved a level 4 NVQ in advice and guidance. This is the first time that anyone in prison has achieved this level of certification. Two volunteer Connection peer advisors have also gone on to get full time employment with St Giles Trust after their release from prison. Meet at the gate service In the first year of the project, the meet at the gate service was provided only to those offenders who requested it. However, the One Service found that many more prisoners needed the service than were requesting it (either prisoners were reluctant to admit that they did not have someone to meet them on release or their arrangements broke down). Now, the service aims to meet all prisoners at the gate (even those who do not request the service). The point of release is acknowledged to be a vulnerable time for ex-offenders, and the value of the 'meet at the gate service' in averting potential crises is now recognised. The practice developed by the One Service is starting to influence mainstream services provided by Peterborough Prison: The Prison works in partnership with the One Service to ensure that One Service has the best chance of providing a meet at the gate service for every prisoner. The prison provides the prisoner and the One Service with a scheduled slot for the prisoners release, and will contact the One Service if the release is delayed. Peterborough Prison has established a meet at the gate room outside the prison to provide ex-offenders with a place to meet their caseworker and other agencies. Peterborough Prison has also commissioned a meet at the gate service for female ex-offenders. (The One Service only works with male offenders.) Developing relationships with prisoners while in prison/consistency of support In the first year of the project, all prisoners who signed up for the project were assessed and supported by St Giles Trust both in the pre and post release phase. The caseload and engagement analysis revealed that some clients did not require specialist caseworker support yet were taking up a considerable amount of staff time. Equally, other clients were not benefitting from the service because their low level needs were not prioritised compared to other more complex cases. To address this issue, the One Service has developed a new case allocation model. Once the prisoner has signed up for the service, a case worker from St Giles Trust and a member of staff from SOVA carry out an assessment to identify what type of support he will require on release. 41

43 Each case is allocated depending on the level of risk and complexity of needs. A SOVA volunteer leads on the low risk/low level of need cases and St Giles Caseworkers lead on the higher risk/more complex needs cases. This model will improve and strengthen engagement levels and enable more effective service delivery. It will: relieve pressure on specialist caseworkers and better utilise volunteers. enable volunteers to develop stronger relationships and reduce the need to transition clients from St Giles Trust to SOVA later in the client journey (thus proving greater consistency of support). Maintaining engagement with ex-offenders in the community The project has experienced different levels of engagement in the service after prisoners are released into the community. Some ex-offenders engage only until their direct needs (housing, benefits etc.) have been met, while others have engaged over a longer period of time and have engaged in the wider support aimed at behavioural change. In the second year of operation, the One Service has developed a more pro-active approach to re-engagement with those ex-offenders who have not engaged over the longer term. It sends letter, phones and visits targeted ex-offenders to try to re-engage them in services. The One Service also has good links with the local police and with other services in the area who refer clients back to the One Service to encourage them to reconnect with the support available. Additionally, every participant who gives their consent is flagged on the Police National Computer, so that if a client is picked up anywhere in the country, the local police force will contact the One Service. The funding model Driving efficiency in delivery In the first year, the project has shown that the flow of funding influences the level and efficiency of delivery. The funding is flexible and can be directed on a case by case basis to meet the needs of the service users on the ground. Services are not funded to provide a particular service irrespective of need, so funding is better targeted on services that make a difference. The One Service has also learned that there is significant value to be created, often at very little cost, by connecting service users more effectively to existing services on the ground, whether it be housing or help with substance abuse. Flexibility of funding The flexibility of the funding system has allowed the project to commission services to meet identified needs. This means that the One Service can purchase 42

44 one-off interventions to meet the needs of specific clients, or to develop a new service where a gap is identified. For example, in the first year of the programme, clients identified a need for low level mental health support for depression, anxiety, self-harm, paranoia, low selfesteem, anger management etc. The One Service identified that there was a gap in local services due to long waiting lists for NHS services or because there was no statutory provision for the specific conditions. The One Services responded by commissioning mental health sessions from MIND, a local charity. As a result of the intervention, clients are reporting improvements in self-care, addictive behaviour, relationships, social networks and managing their own mental health. The learning from the One Service has also had a wider impact on mainstream prison services. Since seeing the impact of Mental Health support on shortsentence prisoners, Peterborough Prison has commissioned MIND to support longer sentenced male and female prisoners (under a separate contract). Duration of funding The SIB funding model provided long term (six years) funding which aimed to gives the One Service time to learn and to develop in response to that learning. The long term funding has also been important in getting buy-in from other partners, many of whom would have been more reluctant to engage with a short term initiative. Peterborough Prison and other partners have realigned resources around the One Service. It is unlikely that these other services would have happened in the case of a short term initiative which would be here today and gone tomorrow. Investor Accountability The One Service is accountable to investors. The requirement to report quarterly to the investors has created a system which is very focussed on outcomes, but is also highly transparent. Each of the delivery partners is also involved in reporting to the Advisory Board which builds ownership and accountability for outcomes throughout the delivery model. Building collaborative partnerships Where other funding structures often encourage competition between delivery organisations to 'claim' outcomes, the SIB funding model had driven a change in culture where all partners are working collaboratively to deliver outcomes. 43

45 Routes Out of Prison (The Wise Group and partners) Name of Project: Routes Out of Prison (Roop) Delivered by: The Wise Group and partners Amount: 2,000,000 from BIG Scotland Duration of funding: The award was for a period of three years. The project was funded by BIG between June 2008 and August Introduction Routes Out of Prison (RooP) is delivered by the Wise Group, in partnership with the Scottish Prison Service, Families Outside, Apex Scotland, Sodexo and Serco. RooP was initially established by the Wise Group, in partnership with Families Outside and the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) in August At that time it received two years of funding from the Scottish Government to deliver the service in three prisons and four Community Justice Authority (CJA) areas. The Wise Group secured further funding from the Big Lottery Fund (BIG) in mid 2008 to extend the project into seven prisons in Scotland. Apex Scotland also joined the partnership. The period of Big Lottery funding was three years. The project also received funding from the European Social Fund. Since the completion of Big Lottery funding in August 2011, the Routes Out of Prison project has continued with initial funding from the first round of Reducing Re-offending Change Fund. The project has also applied for further two year funding for continuation of the project under the Change Fund. The project model has changed and developed as a result of the learning from the Lottery funded project. This case study outlines the original project model (during the Lottery funded phase) and the learning from that model which has influenced changes in the project design. The RooP Project aims to fill this gap in service provision for short term offenders by offering support to prisoners serving a sentence of between three months and four years. The need for the project The project was established to address the issue of high rates of re-conviction of prisoners serving short-term sentences. Statistics show that many of these offenders become stuck in the revolving door of prison life. 44

46 Of all offenders released from custody in 2004, 42% had a custodial reconviction within two years, with an average of 3.3 reconvictions within that two year period (Scottish Government 2008). Numerous studies have identified that this group of offenders is characterised by multiple needs (including poverty, homelessness, addictions and unemployment). The profile is that of a vulnerable and often chaotic population, with many of such offenders having a history of social exclusion and disadvantage. While the high level of need in this population is well established, they are often the least likely to access help and support: This group is not subject to statutory support or supervision on release. As they are only in custody for short periods, these offenders have limited access to the support programmes which are available within prisons. The approach and rationale RooP provides a bridging model of support from the prison to the community and to the range of services in the community. Central to the RooP model are the Life Coaches: Life Coaches engage participants while they are still in prison. They aim to develop a relationship with participants which will support and encourage the participant to engage with support when they have been released. RooP is a peer support project. The majority of Life Coaches have an ex-offending background. This is a critical element of the model. The meet at the gate service is critical to the model: Release is often the most vulnerable time for an ex-offender, and the meet at the gate service aims to assist the ex-offender to start to begin to address the issues in their action plan (accommodation, addictions etc) from the day they are released. The project RooP Life Coaches (peer support workers) recruit offenders in prison and then work with them in the community to link them in with the services that they require to address their barriers to resettlement. Prison-based Life Coaches meet and recruit eligible clients about six weeks before they are due to be released. They work with the participant to identify their barriers to resettlement and the issues with which they would like support. The Life Coach develops an action plan with the participant. The Action Plan is then passed to a Community Life Coach, who endeavours to meet with the client at least twice in the prison before they are released in order to build a working relationship in which needs and expectations are established. 45

47 The RooP model provides clients with a through the gate service. The Community Life Coach will arrange to meet the client at the gate or very soon after their release. The role of the Community Life Coach is to support participants to access local services to address their barriers. They also provide personal support, building participants confidence and motivation to address their lifestyle issues. The will signpost clients to services, accompany them to appointments, advocate on their behalf, provide practical assistance and emotional support to address their challenges. When the client is job ready, they are passed to a RooP Employment Consultant who will work with them on employment, training and employability issues. Where a participant has identified (at the pre-release stage) concerns over his family s welfare, the Life Coach would refer the family to Families Outside. Families Outside provides holistic support to the families, providing both emotional support and support to address practical issues. Families Outside (with Relate) also delivered the Positive Relationship Programme to offenders while they were inside prisons, which aims to support prisoners to re-build and maintain positive relationships with their partners whist in prison. Outcomes The Routes Out of Prison project sought to: increase ex-offenders access to relevant community based services to address their general welfare, employment and family issues; increase access to positive outcomes such as education and employment; increase positive mental health and stability through supporting exoffenders and their families; and achieve a 2%-5% reduction in the return to custody rates of RooP participants over the course of the project. Measuring Success The Routes out of Prison Project was externally evaluated by the Criminal Justice Social Work Development Centre for Scotland, University of Edinburgh. The evaluation showed that, over the period January 2009 to December 2010: 3,612 participants signed up with to the RooP project while they were in prison; Of these, 43% engaged with the project post-release; 73% of those engaging post-release accessed at least one service in the community; and 19% (of those who engaged) went on to achieve a hard outcome of employment, education or training with 5% moving into employment. 46

48 The evaluation also produced qualitative evidence of the impact of the support on partners and families of ex-offenders. The external evaluation identified that there was a 44% return to custody rate for those who did not engage in the community post release, compared to a 40% rate for those who engaged at least once in the community. This 4% difference in return to custody rates highlights the longer term impact of the project. The external evaluation also explored the financial impact of RooP. It employed a Social Return on Investment (SROI) methodology to identify the value of the outcomes. This identified that for every 1 invested the project has delivered between 6.70 and 0.40 of value, with a mean value of Learning about what works The learning from the external evaluation has informed the development of the model. The key lessons and developments are outlined below. Peer mentors The recruitment of individuals who were ex-offenders was critical to the success of the model. The peer mentors have credibility with participants and the Life Coaches/mentors have an understanding of the participants which gives them the tenacity to stick with the participants. Meet at the gate The ability of Life Coaches to meet clients at the gate has been identified as a key strength of the RooP model. The point of release is a very vulnerable time for prisoners, and the meet at the gate service supports clients to begin to access the services they require to successfully reintegrate into the community at the point of release, rather than falling into their previous lifestyles or patterns of behaviour. Earlier engagement The project identified that a significant proportion of participants who engaged while in prison did not take up services when they were released. The project model has now been changed to extend the period of engagement pre-release to build the relationship between the participant and the mentor. Engagement with prisoners now happens up to six months prior to release. This has been made possible through developing relationships with SPS, who have supported the move to allow RooP mentors to get earlier access to prisoners. Relationship building/consistency of relationships The new project model works toward greater consistency in the relationship with the Life Coaches. It provides for more intense work with prisoners pre-release (Life Coaches see prisoners at least weekly). Action plans, which were previously drawn up at the first meeting, are now developed following a few meetings with the Life Coach, when a relationship has been established. The project also seeks to provide 47

49 continuity of care through the gate where possible, with the same Life Coach providing support post release where possible. Early signs are very positive: post release engagement levels during the Lottery Funded project were approximately 43%. In the period from Oct 2012 to March 2013, post release engagement levels were 88% (of those engaging pre-release). Post release engagement The evaluation also identified a need for a more structured programme for exoffenders on release. As a result, the project now organises peer support groups for ex-offenders and provides a more structured approach to developing personal and employability skills. Challenges Recognition of alcohol misuse in relation to offending behaviour Alcohol culture is a major challenge in working with ex-offenders. Although drugs misuse is often perceived to be the major challenge, drugs misuse is a recognised problem and here are interventions and support to address drug misuse. For many of the client group, the relationship between alcohol and their offending behaviour is not recognised and therefore is harder to address. Welfare reform Welfare Reform will pose a challenge for ex-offenders. The Wise Group is working to ensure that ex-offenders are aware of the issues and of their entitlements. 48

50 Roots and Shoots (Aberdeen Forward) Project name: Roots and Shoots Delivered by: Aberdeen Forward. Amount: 453,334 from BIG Scotland Duration of funding: This award is for a period of three and a half years. The project started in November Introduction This project is delivered by Aberdeen Forward, a charity and social enterprise that initiates and supports environmental and recycling projects. It works with communities and businesses to educate and promote projects that help to protect the environment, reduce waste and encourage recycling. More recently, Aberdeen Forward has developed an employability programme Roots and Shoots which aims to improve the employability skills of ex-offenders from Craiginches prison in Aberdeen. It provides employability training for a period of 13 weeks within the prison, then a 24 week work placement with Aberdeen Forward immediately on release. The project works with prisoners from Craiginches prison in Aberdeen. Participants are all male, serving a sentence of at least 12 months, with three-six months left to serve of their sentence. The project seeks to work with a total of 70 prisoners, 36 of whom will progress into a work placement at Aberdeen Forward. The need for the project While many factors contribute to re-offending, it is well documented that offenders and ex-offenders tend to have skills levels well below those of the general population, and are much more likely to be unemployed. Gaining skills and employment is recognised as a key element in breaking the cycle of re-offending. The need for this project was identified through partnership work between Aberdeen Forward, HMP Craiginches and Robert Gordon s University Occupational Therapy team. The three organisations started to meet in 2010 to discuss how a project could be developed to tackle reoffending rates and employability for exoffenders. The approach and rationale The approach was developed in response to issues raised directly by prisoners from Criaginches prison who participated in a focus group. 49

51 Prisoners identified lack of confidence as a barrier to progressing to work. Prisoners identified concerns about how to disclose gaps in employment records due to imprisonment. All prisoners found gardening to be non threatening and were keen on the idea of working on such a project. Prisoners identified that they would needed work activity to start immediately on release, as this was the time when they were most vulnerable to dropping back to their previous lifestyles. The project was designed to engage prisoners in the training project while still in prison. Prisoners receive training in horticultural skills but through this medium, also receive training to develop confidence, numeracy and literacy, other lifeskills and employability skills. The project provides an opportunity for ex-offenders to move directly into a workbased activity directly after their release from prison. Each participant is met at the prison gate and taken to Aberdeen Forward to receive an induction and agree start date. The project therefore provides an important transition between prison and real employment: It addresses the confidence gap and the concerns over disclosure as the prisoners are known to the project and have existing relationships with staff from Aberdeen Forward before they move into their work placement. The continuity of support between the in-prison and post release elements of the programme helps to increase retention at the key transition point (release from prison) due to the existing relationships with Aberdeen Forward. The project Pre-release The project engages with participants while they are still serving their sentence. The selected prisoners take part in a 12 week training programme designed to improve their employability skills through improving confidence, developing life skills and providing work related skills. The work related training is based around horticulture/gardening. Within the prison, prisoners are involved in growing plants and vegetables, making hanging baskets and constructing and maintaining raised beds. Running alongside the practical workbased sessions, there is a range of training and education sessions to address basic numeracy and literacy skills, life skills such as cookery, budgeting etc, and softer employability skills such as team building. Participants gain SQA accredited certificates in working with others and in problem solving. The training and education is delivered within the prison by the prison education unit and by external trainers. The programme is flexible and is adapted to meet the needs of the individuals and the type of practical work based training that is 50

52 required at different stages in the project. The programme is co-ordinated by the Aberdeen Forward project officer. Post-release On release, participants are met and taken to Aberdeen Forward s business premises for inductions and orientation. The participant then embarks on 24 week supported employment placement with Aberdeen Forward. Participants work for 25 hours a week and are paid at a rate of 7 per hour. Participants have employed status with Aberdeen Forward. Aberdeen Forward is a social enterprise and delivers a range of environmental projects and services. This provides opportunities for a range of work experience for the participants: to date participants have carried out work in warehousing, the recycling centre, and composting, as well as carrying out community gardening work. While in work, participants continue to receive training relevant to their existing and proposed field of work. Participants in the first cohort received certificated training in Manual Handling, Emergency First Aid, and had some training in dry stone walling. Some have received industry recognised training tailored to their intended future jobs, for example Forklift Truck certificates, Banksman Slinger Certificates, and CSCS cards which are required for employment in the construction industry. All participants also get a work placement with another employer to increase their exposure to the world of work and give them experience of different types of jobs and employers. Where possible, work placements are found in the participants chosen field of work. Aberdeen Forward has brokered an agreement with Aberdeen City Council to provide a number of work placement opportunities. Other work placements have been found with private sector companies. Participants work for four days of the week. The fifth day is allocated to additional training, personal development or to allow participants to access other services which support the ex-offender to resettle in the community (such as debt advice, housing support, addictions services). All participants receive support for other aspects of their resettlement through the ADJUST Programme or through other community resources. Outcomes The agreed outcomes for this project are: To support prisoners who are removed from the labour market and ensure they are work ready by increasing their employability through training and work placements. To improve self-confidence amongst participants and remove the perceived barriers to employment. 51

53 Measuring success The project measures progress toward soft outcomes against individual action plans for each participant. The project also plans to use the Human Model of Occupation to measure improvements in confidence and in employability. The Human Model of Occupation is a tool used predominantly by occupational therapists to review employability through assessment of motivation, communication, confidence, process and motor skills. An assessment is carried out at the beginning and end of the intervention provides a measure of distance travelled. It is planned that Robert Gordon s University (Occupational Therapy) will provide external evaluation of the distance travelled by participants throughout the life of the project. The project also records a number of hard indicators to show progress towards employability. These reflect the steps on the pathway to employability and include outcomes such as achievement of qualification, certificates, completion of a work placement etc. The project has been operating for just over a year already two participants have moved into employment beyond the project. One participant who went on a work placement with a local construction company is now employed on a permanent basis by the company. One participant has gained employment in the construction industry after achieving industry recognised certificates through the project. Learning about what works The project is still in its early days, but a number of lessons are already emerging. The offer of a 'real job' on release has been an important aspect in engaging prisoners in the training programme while they are still in prison. (Participants have employed status during their placement at Aberdeen Forward, so have real work experience and a reference when they apply for future jobs.) The prisoners also identified that the continuity of support has been important in maintaining engagement in the project. The fact that participants have already built a relationship with Aberdeen Forward makes it easier for them to engage in the work placement. Challenges There is a shortage of suitable accommodation for ex-offenders which means that many are forced to live in hostels, temporary accommodation or end up going to live with friends. This adds to the instability of their lives on release and impacts on their capacity to sustain employment. 52

54 The majority of participants have a range of issues which affect their capacity for employment. Many require assistance with practical issues such as housing and debt and many have health and addictions issues which affect their capacity for employment. While all participants have other support packages in place, Roots and Shoots has identified that for some of the participants, the other barriers are so great that they are not ready for employment. 53

55 Transition to Employment (Access to Employment Ayr) Project name: Transition to Employment Delivered by: Access to Employment Ayr (A2E) Amount: 238,163 from BIG Scotland Duration of funding: This is a three year award. The project started in August Introduction Access to Employment Ayr (A2E) is a charity which assists unemployed residents of South Ayrshire to gain and retain employment by building their employability skills. The organisation offers both formal and informal training, and also runs a childcare service. The Transition to Employment has been funded by the Big Lottery following a successful two year pilot project. The project works with clients who are subject to a Community Payback Order. 50 clients per year are expected to participate. Partners in the project are South Ayrshire Criminal Justice Team (SACJT) and the Skills Towards Employment Project (STEP). The Criminal Justice Team is the source of all client referrals for the project. The team refer those clients who are thought to be ready to move towards employment. Social workers are responsible for an initial assessment to ensure that clients are appropriate for the project, and also contact clients who are not attending. STEP is a source of additional support for clients aged between 16 and 19 who have additional barriers to engagement. The need for the project There is a raft of evidence which highlights the impact of employment on reducing re-offending. This project responds to a particular gap in services for offenders subject to Community Service Orders (CSO s) and Community Payback Orders (CPOs). This group of ex-offenders, unlike those leaving custodial sentences, are not eligible for immediate referral to the Work Programme and other employability schemes. As a result, they can miss out on the support required to assist them into employment. However, these offenders face similar barriers to employment as other ex-offenders, such as a lack of work experience, literacy and numeracy, and a history of worklessness. This project therefore identified a need for a specialist employment service to clients leaving the criminal justice system who may not otherwise be able to access employability support. 54

56 The approach and rationale The approach builds on the lessons learned from a previous pilot project for this client group in Ayrshire. The pilot project aimed to provide a one stop shop to meet employability needs of clients working with the Criminal Justice Team. The approach builds on existing partnerships and adds an employability focus to the support which this client group receive from the Criminal Justice Team (CJT) There are close links between the CJT and A2E. The Transition to Employment project worker is based within the CJT for some time each week, and the close working relationship ensures that the employability support is integrated into the pathway of support that clients are receiving to address the range of issues and barriers in their lives. However, the support delivered by the Transition to Employment project provides the client with a clear focus on building their employability skills. The project approach is also informed by the weaknesses of the pilot project. The pilot project highlighted the intensive and individualised support needs of the ex-offenders, and their extensive barriers to employment. As a result, the project approach recognises the need for intensive one-to-one support to addresses barriers to employment, but also provides a considerable focus on building softer employability skills and confidence, attitudes, motivation for employment. The project Referral Clients are referred by the criminal justice team within South Ayrshire Council s social work department. Once clients have engaged in a number of individual meetings with the project, the client is formally registered with the project. An emphasis is placed on building a relationship with each participant. One-to-one support sessions are used to build the relationship, to identify the barriers for each client to moving into employability and set actions to support the client to overcome these barriers. During the one-to-one sessions, clients will also be encouraged and motivated to establish some realistic employability goals, to engage with job seeking services, and to attend the weekly job club. The individual action plan is used to set targets and to monitor progress. The action plan is constantly reviewed in individual sessions, with a more formal review at the 13 week point. Support delivered The project delivers between six to nine months of support designed to move participants on to employment, education or training. Core elements of the support include: Job seeking skills Signposting 55

57 Core skill development Personal development Vocational training However, the programme is bespoke to the needs of the individual and take up of different elements of the programme is driven by the individual action plan. A2E has established a fluid and responsive programme which can adapt to the different needs of participants. The majority of support is delivered in a one-to-one basis, although a weekly job club has been introduced as a cost-effective way to ensure that the project could maintain weekly contact with participants, in a way which was less resource intensive and reflected the level of need of clients. The job club provides training and information sessions which focus on a different element of job search each week, for example, CV preparation, job applications, job searching, and interview skills and techniques. Participants attend the information sessions but can also access the resources with the A2E offices to research job or training opportunities or to get some support from the project workers to complete application forms etc. The project has found that the weekly group meeting has allowed for some peer support among clients, and is also providing a social element for some clients who may have become quite isolated in their community. All clients participate in an Effective Voice course. This course has been developed by Access to Employment Ayr specifically for this client group. Initially developed as a customer service skills course, the content has been further developed following feedback from clients about their frustrations in dealing with agencies such as the benefits agency, local authority departments, support organisations, and banking services. The course works to improve participants communication skills and focuses specifically on developing effective methods for getting their voices heard in negotiations with agencies. The project has a dedicated budget which can support the costs of training, travel, attending interviews, dependency care, and personal development for participants. Individual Learning Accounts are used to reduce the cost to the project of this training support. After moving on, an aftercare service is available to support clients to sustain training, education or employment. An outreach service is available for year old clients living in the rural parts of South Ayrshire. The pilot project had identified that young offenders living remotely, and often with transport difficulties, could not access employability services. As a result, the project has responded by providing services on an outreach basis to this group. 56

58 Outcomes The project aims to support adult offenders subject to Community Payback Orders to reduce re-offending and move towards employment. The specific outcomes it seeks to deliver for participants are: Have the confidence and skills to engage with job seeking services. Improve their employability skills by acquiring work-related skills. Move into employment, training and education. Measuring success A2E has developed a database which records the actions and targets identified in individual action plans, and tracks the progress made by clients. This allows A2E to report on the distance travelled by each client, and to track the number of beneficiaries moving on into positive destinations. The project records a number of hard indicators to measure progress toward achieving a hard outcome (employment, training, education). These indicators reflect the stages in moving into employment: Improved core skills; Participation in education or training; Gaining qualifications; Progression into employment, education, training or voluntary work. The project also measures improvements in softer skills and confidence. All participants complete an Essential Skills Profile as part of their action plan which asks them to score their softer skills and confidence (skills/confidence in job search skills, confidence to apply for job, confidence in interview skills etc). Participants are asked to reassess their scores at review meetings. This provides a measure of progress towards softer outcomes. Although the project is still in its early days, it has already had some success. Seven clients have already moved into positive destinations; three have moved into work, two have gone to college, and two into voluntary opportunities. Another current client is investigating self-employment. Learning about what works Relationship building A2E report that investing time in developing a trust-based relationship between the worker and each client has been key to their success. The project invests time in getting to know the needs of the individual and responding to those needs. Trust is also based on being honest with the clients about their opportunities and chances for success. 57

59 SPAN (Shelter Scotland in partnership) Project name: SPAN (Supporting Prisoners Advice Network) Delivered by: Shelter Scotland in partnership with SACRO and Inverness, Badenoch & Strathspey Citizen s Advice Bureau. Amount: 889,000 from BIG Scotland Duration of funding: The award is for the period January 2013 to December Introduction This project is led by Shelter Scotland, a national homelessness and housing charity. Delivery partners are SACRO, a voluntary organisation which works across Scotland to make communities safer by reducing conflict and offending, and Inverness, Badenoch & Strathspey Citizens Advice Bureau, which offers an advice service in the Highlands. The SPAN (Supporting Prisoners Advice Network) service provides housing advice, information and support for offenders in Aberdeen, Perth, and Inverness prisons and across the entire Northern and Tayside CJA regions. The project also provides advice and support to families of offenders. In recognition that some ex-offenders have more complex needs, the project provides a throughcare service, delivered by SACRO, which provides support post release to those to ex-offenders who need additional support to resettle in the community. The need for the project Shelter Scotland had delivered a successful independent housing advice, casework and advocacy project in Scottish Prisons, including HMP Perth, Aberdeen and Inverness for over ten years. The project was primarily funded by the Scottish Government. The funding for this service ended in The project aimed to prevent prisoners and ex-offenders from becoming homeless. It addressed the housing needs of prisoners at key transition points: after sentencing, shortly before release, and immediately following release. These transition points had been identified as times of particular need, when prisoners are at risk of losing tenancies or experiencing other housing problems. The project therefore provided housing advice and support to assist offenders and their families to: maintain accommodation through their prison sentence; responsibly surrender accommodation; and access accommodation and support on release from prison. The experience and learning from this project highlighted that there was an ongoing need for housing advice services at key transition points for ex-offenders 58

60 and a need that Shelter Scotland should extend its services to the families of prisoners In addition, even before the end of the statutory funding for the previous project, Shelter Scotland had identified that many ex-offenders had more complex support needs which are linked to cycles of homelessness and offending, e.g. mental health, substance misuse, and that these prisoners required a wider range of support services once they had been released from prison to assist them to resettle in the community. The approach and rationale The project approach seeks to extend the previous housing advice project providing casework, advice and advocacy in prisons, - to include throughcare services, with Support Workers providing post release support to clients to access specialist agencies. The approach therefore aims to bridge the gap between prison and the community for those with more complex needs. A support plan is drawn up while the offender is still in prison which identifies their key challenges and the services that exoffenders will need when they leave prison to help them to live stable, independent lives. Support Workers provide on-going support after release to assist ex-offenders to access the support and services in the community. The project The project delivers similar housing advice services to those which were delivered by Shelter Scotland s previous project. The project provides casework, advice and advocacy services to prisoners while they are in prison and on release. The project also provides training to Prison Service and Local Authority staff in housing advice, in order that they can provide very basic housing information but also identify potential housing issues and source appropriate specialist advice at an earlier stage. The new elements of the project are: the throughcare element which provides support for those ex-offenders with more complex needs after their release. Throughcare services are targeted on those ex-offenders with higher support needs and those who are ineligible for statutory support. The project provides a housing advice service for families of prisoners. This is delivered through surgeries which are held in Family Centres in each of the prisons and in community venues. Referral Prisoners can self-refer to the advice service, or are referred by prison staff. 59

61 Advice Participants have their housing needs assessed by an expert Housing Adviser. The level of support provided to address their housing issues varies depending on the need and complexity of the issues, and can range from provision of advice or signposting to other agencies to advocacy on behalf of the client. The Housing Adviser also identifies other needs which impact on their ability to live stable, independent lives, and inmates are referred to appropriate services. For those clients who are recognised as having higher levels of need, the Housing Advisor will refer to a Support Worker for post-release support. Pre-release support (for those identified as requiring support in the community) Where a need for additional support has been identified, the Support Worker carries out a needs assessment with the prisoner to identify his needs on release. The project uses a recognised assessment tool (The HOMES Matrix which assesses needs in the following issues: Education and training; Help with family issues and parenting; Advocacy benefits and housing issues; Participation in offending behaviour programmes; Participation in drug and alcohol programmes; and Constructive use of leisure time The assessment process results in the development of a support plan. This plan identifies the actions which will help to move the client towards living more independently, and forms the basis against which progress is measured. Support Workers meet all offenders who are referred for community based support while they are still in prison, to start building a relationship with the offender and to ensure some continuity of support. The time-limited Support Plan will then transfer to a contract between the prisoner and the Support Worker with regard to action to be taken post-release. On release The Support Worker meets those ex-offenders with higher support needs at the prison gates immediately after liberation. It is anticipated that approximately three-quarters of all referrals will be met at the gate. Support Workers will accompany these ex-offenders to their initial appointments with agencies to assist them to secure temporary accommodation, register for benefits and any other immediate support needs. Support in the community The Support Workers then assist the ex-offender to make progress in areas identified in their individual support plan, such as establishing a home, addressing addiction issues and/or accessing education, training and employment. Where 60

62 appropriate, staff will accompany vulnerable service users to initial and further appointments with other agencies, although SACRO s approach encourages selfempowerment. SACRO has extensive links with other agencies in the community and a key objective of the support provided by SACRO is to enable the ex-offender to engage with the relevant agencies in the community. Withdrawal of support is planned once the client is in safe, appropriate accommodation, has secured a form of meaningful activity and/or has the ongoing support they require from statutory as well as other voluntary agencies. Outcomes The project seeks to deliver three key outcomes: Ex-offenders and their families will be enabled to find and keep appropriate housing. Ex-offenders have improved confidence and skills to address their wider support needs, leading to better life chances. Increased local capacity of Prison Officers and Local Authorities to provide basic housing advice and increased awareness of housing issues faced by offenders and their families Measuring success The project collects data on the outcome of cases which provide evidence of the hard outcomes from the project (the number of cases where homelessness has been prevented.) The project also carries out a follow-up contact with the client or local authority after six and nine months to report on the sustainability of outcomes. The project has identified a number of indicators to evidence progress toward the softer outcomes. For example: prisoners will have sufficient knowledge to take independent steps to resolve housing problems, after receiving project information and advice. prisoners' families report feeling more informed about their housing situation. ex-offenders will feel more confident in their ability to manage a tenancy. families feel more able to support ex-offenders. Scottish Prison Service and local authority Housing staff have increased confidence in dealing with and identifying prisoners' housing issues. ex-offenders will make progress in key areas they have identified in the HOMES Matrix e.g. relating to substance/alcohol misuse, risk of reoffending. ex-offenders will feel more confident in accessing other agencies to address their wider support needs. Data to evidence these indicators is collected through interviews and surveys with clients, with families and with interviews with other agencies (Prison staff and Local Authority staff in the case of the impact of training). 61

63 For clients receiving community based support, progress towards individual outcomes is tracked using the HOMES matrix, which provides a measure of distance travelled by each client towards their personal goals. Learning about what works This is a new project, and therefore has not identified learning or challenges. However, the project was informed by learning from the previous project. Developing a trust based relationship with clients The success of the project is based on the development of a trust based relationship with the client. This is a function of the processes (maintaining regular contact, keeping clients informed at all stages of the process, providing information in a way that enables them to make decisions, delivering on agreed actions) but also of the non-judgemental ethos of the project. Independence of the provider Research by Shelter has identified that the independence of the delivery organisation is a critical success factor in building a trust-based relationship with clients. Many clients have a history of poor experiences with the statutory sector which means that they do not engage effectively with these services. 62

64 Ordinary Homes Extraordinary Lives (PSS Scotland) Project: name: Ordinary Homes Extraordinary Lives Delivered by: Person Shaped Support (PSS Scotland) * Amount: 100,000 from BIG Scotland Duration of funding: This is a two year award. The project started in February 2013 Introduction Person Shaped Support (PSS) is a UK wide social care charity which works to support people to build independent lives within their communities and improve quality of life. The charity has operated in Scotland since 2000 under the name PSS Scotland. PSS Scotland is piloting the Shared Lives model for use with young offenders. The Shared Lives model offers a secure home environment for young offenders. This offers an experience of a stable family life which many young ex-offenders will not have previously experienced. This experience, coupled with the support of the mentor, will build their confidence and capacity to live independently. The client group are year old young offenders, serving at Polmont Young Offenders institute, who will be homeless on release. The project will support 18 young people over two years. Young people will be matched with home placements throughout Scotland: many will be in their home local authority, although for some, a new area may be a better option. The need for the project There is a body of the evidence showing a very strong correlation between homelessness among young offenders and reoffending. The targeting for this project was confirmed by the Scottish Prison Service which identified a specific gap in support for young male offenders (16 and 17 year olds) who are homeless on release. The approach and rationale The approach is based on the Shared Lives model which matches clients, (traditionally adults with learning disabilities) with home based carers. Trained carers provide long-term and medium-term accommodation and support in their own home. Shared Lives care is modelled on foster care, and offers a family life experience, where the person placed is considered to be a family member. Carers are self employed and receive compensation from their local authority. Carers then share their daily life with the person placed with them. 63

65 The supported Shared Lives model is individualised and community based. It supports people to develop life skills in the home, and to develop circles of support and community links. In this way, the model maximises the positive benefits of strong social networks, supports people to contribute to family and community life, and builds confidence and self-esteem. The development of the approach as a response to young offenders was informed by research and experience: Evidence from the PSS Scotland Shared Lives Scheme which had had some success in working with clients who had an offending background, often after other approaches had not been successful. A survey of young people in Polmont Young Offenders Institute informed the design of the project. Nearly three-quarters of the young people surveyed agreed that Shared Lives would be helpful. Findings of research produced for the Scottish Government What Works to Reduce Reoffending: A Summary of the Evidence argued that, for many offenders, reducing recidivism relies on the individuals developing pro-social thinking styles, higher levels of self-esteem, and the development of prosocial bonds positive social relationships and networks. The research reports that initiatives which target these areas are more likely to be successful in reducing re-offending. The Shared Lives model provides this pro-social approach, and is anticipated to have a particularly strong impact on this client group. The model takes a wholelife approach to young people. As a result, the approach will help to support young people to sustain their accommodation placement, develop positive social relationships and networks, develop pro-social bonds, and the confidence to successfully move towards living independently. The project Client referral Clients are identified within Polmont Young Offenders Institute, either by institute staff or by the Plan B project, which delivers pre-release support to inmates. The project worker carries out a needs assessment with each young offender. This is used to develop an action plan which identifies the priorities for the placement. PSS Scotland then uses this action plan and needs assessment to match the young person with a suitable mentor. The matching process fits the needs of the young person with the strengths of available mentors. Most young people will be placed with a mentor in their home local authority Mentors are adult carers who have received training in supporting adults to live independently. 64

66 Pre release Where referrals are made early in the young persons sentence, the matched mentor will visit them a number of times. This allows the relationship which is central to this approach to develop organically. On release The young person will be met at the gate and taken home by their mentor. By this stage, the relationship which has developed between the young person and their mentor will allow the young person to feel supported on their transition from the Young Offenders Institute into the next stage of their lives. Post release The support delivered to each young person is completely individual. Based on the needs of the young person, it can include work on social skills, life skills, education, training or employment, and support to overcome drug and alcohol addictions or other barriers. All participants take part in a two day training course delivered by PSS Scotland on Routes into Employment. Placements can last for any length of time, although PSS Scotland expect them to average two years. During this time, young people will experience a stable, supported family environment. Their mentor will work with them to identify actions which they can take to progress with their action plan and transition towards independent living. While the tangible support during this time could include support to apply for training or college, studying, training opportunities, or advocacy in engaging with agencies, the softer support provided by this model will include boundary setting, a stable routine, budgeting, roles of family members, and taking responsibility for actions. During the placement, PSS Scotland visit the mentor and the young person every four to six weeks to monitor the success of the placement. Aftercare A planning session is held with the mentor and young person before the end of placements, to ensure a successful transition. Mentors also maintain tapered contact for two-three months, where required. In practice, the Shared Lives model builds a relationship between the mentor and the young person of such strength that mentors often maintain a supportive relationship after the young person has moved on. Outcomes The project outcomes: 65

67 Young male offenders leaving detention will have stable accommodation in a Shared Lives setting, and will be supported to develop independent living skills. Young male offenders receive support and new training which enables them to re-engage with education and/or move closer to gaining employment. Young male offenders will have increased self-esteem and improved personal responsibility through the development of home and community relationships. Measuring success The project worker holds regular review meetings with mentors and young people, where progress is tracked against the action plan. The mentor is responsible for reporting to PSS Scotland on progress. PSS Scotland has identified a range of hard and soft indicators to measure progress towards outcomes for this programme. Evidence of these indicators is collected from action plans for each young person, the regular reports from the mentor to PSS Scotland, and PSS Scotland s monitoring data. Hard outcomes include: The number completing the PSS Scotland Preparing to Work course. Young people registering with the job centre or applying for job vacancies. Young people avoiding re-offending during the time of their placement. Indicators which measure progress towards the projects softer outcomes include: Young people have established regular routines and develop skills in budgeting, shopping, personal care, and household maintenance. Young people increase their number of mutually beneficial relationships and report an increase in their positive feelings about themselves and their future prospects. Evidence of progress in these indicators is gathered from mentor reports and young people s individual action plans. PSS Scotland is also investigating use of the Outcomes Star to track progress towards softer outcomes with young people. Learning about what works The critical success factors in this model are: The individualised support the adult placement model provides tailored support which meets the needs of the individual. The client group may not have previously experienced a stable family home environment. The combination of strong role models, family roles and responsibilities, positive boundaries, and the background of supportive mentoring, are a powerful combination which will support young people to build positive circles of support in their lives. 66

68 The social and emotional support which is possible through this model exceeds that which is possible in more standard key worker models. Challenges The key challenge which the project highlights is the feeling among some young clients that they have no hope that they will not be able to change their futures. *At the time of application, Person Shaped Support was known as Liverpool Personal Services Society 67

69 Positive Tracks (Cornerstone) Project name: Positive Tracks Delivered by: Cornerstone Amount: 3,137,446 from BIG Scotland Duration of funding: This is a four year award which started in August Introduction Cornerstone was founded in 1980 to provide support to people with learning disabilities and their families. Cornerstone is now one of Scotland's largest charities with a turnover of over 29 million. The organisation provide services for children, young people and adults with disabilities and special needs throughout Scotland and currently supports over 1700 service users. Positive Tracks supports ex-offenders with a learning support need to address their barriers to re-settling in the community, and to getting into and retaining work. This will in turn reduce the likelihood of them re-offending. The project will benefit 110 offenders from the West and North of Scotland, 44 of whom will be aged years. In year one, the project is being delivered with three prisons in the West of Scotland: HMP Barlinnie, Greenock and Cornton Vale. Partnerships with these prisons have been established using the Model Framework for Third Sector Criminal Justice Services. Cornerstone is currently developing the range of partnerships with prisons to extend the services next year. The need for the project Research shows that getting a job and having somewhere to live are two of the most important factors in preventing re-offending. It is recognised that among the prison population a significant number of people have an identified learning difficulty, or a non-diagnosed learning support need. For people in prison, a learning support need presents an additional barrier to resettlement and often results in a revolving door relationship with the criminal justice system. This project is aimed at providing support to those ex-offender identified as having a learning support need to maximise their capacity to break this cycle. This project supports adults and young people with a learning support need. While the clinical definition of learning disability/difficulty is based on an IQ of 70% or below, Positive Tracks uses the Hayes Ability Screening Index (HASI scale) which is a more flexible assessment and highlights more global learning support needs 68

70 The approach and rationale Employment is recognised as a key factor in minimising the risk of re-offending. However, without stable accommodation the likelihood of securing employment becomes negligible. This project addresses these two key issues to provide a sound basis for improving the life chances of ex-offenders with learning support needs. Accommodation An essential component of the project is the provision of supported accommodation for people who require it when they leave prison. Cornerstone provides accommodation for the first 12 months. Ex-offenders are then supported to take over the tenancy independently or to find suitable permanent accommodation elsewhere. Employability Each participant is provided with a bespoke programme of employability activities which support them through the transition from prison into the community, building essential life skills and increasing their confidence and self-esteem. It can include support to take up training, education and volunteering and practical job search skills. The approach begins pre-release, working to build trust and relationships with clients and establishing their employability needs, but the key elements of the employability support are provided after three-six months when the participant is settled in the community. The project Referrals come directly from the prison, and individuals are screened the using the Hayes Ability Screening Index (HASI) to identify whether they are eligible (i.e. that they have some form of Learning Support Need). The project makes contact with eligible individuals one-two months prior to release. The project worker starts to build a relationship with the individual and carries out an assessment of needs (employment, accommodation, personal and social needs) whilst still in custody. A support plan is agreed with the participant. The project provides for a period of months of intensive support, with a further period of aftercare on a reduced level of support. Upon release from prison the individual is met by the same support worker and accompanied to their accommodation. The project directly provides accommodation for the initial 12 month period for people with nowhere to live. Cornerstone takes a 12 month lease on accommodation (from a Housing Association) and supports the individual to settle in the community. At the end of the tenancy, the ex-offender is supported to take over and sustain the tenancy in the original accommodation or assisted to access long term accommodation elsewhere. 69

71 During the entire period, participants take part in a support programme to develop personal and domestic skills and to address other issues and barriers in their lives (for example debt, health, or addictions). The support also aims to assist participants to access local services and engage in local activities to assist them to resettle within the community. Work on a participant s employability skills usually begins after they have settled in accommodation and have addressed any immediate barriers. Typically, this could be after three to six months after release. Employment support is person centred and the duration and nature of support for employability will depend on the needs of each individual. Employment support workers work with individuals on a one-to-one basis to identify their employment options, identify any training and personal development requirements. They will also support participants to take up work tasters, training, education and volunteering opportunities to build their employability skills. As they become more job-ready, employment support workers assist with job search, developing CVs, interview preparation etc. The service can also provide support in the workplace to assist ex-offenders to sustain their employment. After a period of approximately months of support, it is anticipated that the level of support will begin to taper, and volunteers will be recruited to support participants within their communities. Although the project is still in the early stages, it is hoped that ex-participants can be trained and developed as peermentors to take on this role. There is a 'second tier' level of support for those who don't receive accommodation but still require support to re-integrate into the community and to gain access to employment. Outcomes Positive Tracks aims to address the considerable barriers faced by ex-offenders, and particularly those with learning difficulties, in undertaking the transition from prison to normal life and in particular to address barriers they face in accessing employment. The outcomes it seeks to deliver are: Increase the number of ex-offenders with learning support needs that are in touch with job seeking services. Increase the number of ex-offenders with learning support needs moving into employment or training. Increase the number of ex-offenders with learning support needs maintaining a successful tenancy. Increasing the number of ex-offenders with learning support needs that have a positive relationship with their friends and families. Reducing the rate of re-offending by ex-offenders with learning support needs. 70

72 Measuring Success The project will measure a range of soft and hard indicators to show progress toward outcomes. Evidence for hard and soft indicators is recorded on individual client files, the evidence of outcomes transferred to a project database. Evidence of hard indicators, for example a reduction in the frequency of offending is evidenced through recording of the number of court appearances, convictions, and charges. Soft indicators are measured through Cornerstones Outcomes Framework. This is a tool for initially assessing and agreeing a plan with an individual and then reviewing progress towards achievement of the agreed outcomes, particularly the soft outcomes. This tool has been specifically designed around assessing outcomes for people with learning disabilities/difficulties and is Cornerstone s standard outcome measurement tool. It measures the success of meeting outcomes in areas such as: improved health; improved social inclusion; improved independence and responsibility and improved wellbeing. The following provides examples of the indicators and the evidence which is collected to show progress toward outcomes. Indicator Improved engagement with other support providers e.g. alcohol/drugs support agencies where appropriate Evidenced by self assessment evidence of appointments Improved self-management financial stability, debt etc maintenance of tenancy applications for training/ employment, new housing Improved self-esteem/relationships self-assessment form notes from coaching sessions Learning about what works Cornerstone s experience to date suggests that the critical success factor in the project is in the relationship that develops between the key worker and the participant. The development of the relationship is underpinned by: Consistency the long term nature of the support allows the participant to build trust and confidence in their relationship. Values The support from Cornerstone is based on a fundamental belief that it can make a difference in the lives of participants. This belief is balanced buy a realistic assessment of capability and risk, but is at the heart of the support. 71

73 To ensure that the project learns more about the challenges and barriers to resettlement for people with learning support needs, Cornerstone is also a partner in a three year academic study which is being carried out at the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research at the University of Glasgow. A three year PhD studentship will explore and document the experiences of people with learning support needs in the criminal justice system; and in particular identify the challenges they face whilst in prison, and the barriers for effective reintegration on leaving prison. The output of the study is expected to be a tool-kit on best practice which will be developed collaboratively with Cornerstone to ensure its relevance and usability for staff in statutory and third sector agencies. Challenges Impact of the recession It is challenging for ex-offenders to find jobs the current economic climate has reduced the number of job opportunities. In this climate it is even harder for people who have a record of offending and a learning support need to access the labour market. 72

74 Transitional Support Programme (Includem) Project name: Transitional Support Programme Delivered by: Includem Amount: 1,000,000 from BIG Scotland Duration of funding: This is a three year award. The project started in May Introduction Includem is a national organisation which was established in 2000 to deliver intensive support services to vulnerable young people in Scotland. The Transitional Support Programme is delivered in five local authority areas in Scotland. It works with young people aged 14 to 24 who have been involved in the criminal justice system, or who have been identified as being at risk. Young people participate on a voluntary basis - it is not a mandatory programme. The project will work with 228 young people over three years. Young people referred to the project have intense support needs. Many have a history of offending, risk taking behaviours, low or no educational attainment, alcohol and drug abuse, mental health issues, and literacy and numeracy issues. Many have been in the care system. The need for the project Includem already delivers Intensive Support Services in a number of local authority areas in Scotland. These are used by Social Work to reduce the risk of young people being placed in secure or residential placements. Primarily referrals are part of a compulsory Supervision Requirement at home or to prevent the need for more formal measures of care. One of the key challenges identified as a result of delivering Intensive Support Services is that there are many young people who need additional support to transition from an intensive support service into independent living. Research has identified a wash out effect, where the impact of Intensive Support is not sustained after the period of support. As a result Includem has identified the end of Intensive Support as a point of crucial change in young peoples lives, as they try to maintain a non-offending or harm free lifestyle. Sustaining positive changes in behaviour is a challenging goal for young people, and research indicates that this becomes more challenging when matched with the withdrawal of support. 73

75 An evaluation carried out of Includem s Intensive Support Services in 2007 found that support beyond the time of compulsory measures reduced the likelihood of re-offending by 86%. Evaluations of other Includem services working with vulnerable young people have identified the risk of the sudden withdrawal of services, with the removal of support often triggering relapse into previous destructive behaviours. Consultation carried out by Includem with young people and their families identified on-going support needs including: support to engage with agencies; help to build relationships; assistance to find accommodation; and support to tackle issues such as mental health, addictions, and homelessness. Consultees also identified a need for help to move into education, training and employment. 1,400 young people move on from intensive support each year in the areas served by this project. The Transitional Support Project was designed to meet the needs of those young people who required ongoing support after the period of Compulsory Intensive Support Services to assist them to move toward independent living. The approach and rationale Includem has a Model of Practice to engage and support young people in a process of constructive change. The establishing of a constructive, caring relationship which will support a young person to make changes towards a better life. The Includem model of practice is based around the relationship between the young person and the worker. This relationship involves pro-social role modelling, and provides emotional and practical support as well as an advocacy and brokerage role to help young people better engage with other services. The project supports young people through crisis events and relapses, to reduce the negative impact of crises on previous achievements and help young people to keep heading in the right direction. It is the relationship that helps bring about change. The approach for the Transitional Support Project is to deliver intensive, individualised support, and then to slowly disengage from clients, transitioning young people through less intensive support to independent living. While support to each client is highly individualised, the support is based on Includem s bespoke toolkit A Better Life. This toolkit contains a series of modules which Includem works through with young people. Each module is self-contained, and includes practice guidance, processes and exercises to support the young person to progress in that area, with the support of their key worker. The A Better Life resource introduces a structure and consistency to the support provided by Includem staff, without making the programme inflexible. Workers 74

76 select modules which reflect the issues and challenges in the young person s life. The modules within A Better Life are flexible and can be used by the worker to set plans for action, to frame discussion or to work through exercises with the young person. The project Referral The majority of clients are referred to the project by Includem Intensive Support Services, although clients can be referred from other services, such as social work. Individual support Work with each young person is individual and support is delivered through one-toone sessions. An action plan is developed early in the process with each young person which sets goals for the young person and identifies areas to work on which will contribute to moving the young person towards their goal. Throughout the period of engagement with the project, young people attend regular one-to-one support sessions with their worker, working through A Better Life modules as and when these are appropriate. A key objective of the support is to assist young people to access other relevant services in the community. Some young people experience difficulties with other agencies, such as the housing service or benefits agencies, and the key workers support and advocacy for the young person is essential to ensure that they access the services they need. Some clients will also be referred onto other services to address issues/work towards their goals. This could include addictions services, health services or services to build employability skills. Includem does not only identify relevant services, but will accompany young people to appointments and will provide support to enable the young person to maintain engagement in these services. Support to young people is delivered within four bands of intensity: Standard transitional support beginning at two-three contacts per week, and tapering off. Crisis/relapse support increased level of support at up to two contacts per day, provided at any time it is required Disengagement support one planned contact per month Helpline only access to the Includem helpline but no planned contacts. While the aim of the programme is to slowly reduce the level of support provided, this reduction does not work in a linear fashion, as the needs of young people fluctuate. Includem has also found that many young people do not recognise all of their support needs initially. These needs become apparent as support progresses, and therefore support need change during the process. The staff team review each support plan at 8 week intervals. 75

77 Disengagement support The project will support young people for as long as they need support. Generally, this support is needed for six to nine months, although some clients have received support for two years. The level of support is slowly wound down, and the young person supported to access other mainstream services which can support them, until the young person is at a point where they do not need additional support. Helpline support Includem operate a helpline which is available to any client or the person caring for them. The helpline offers a 24 hour contact point. It is staffed by project workers who have access to client files and can offer support and advice over the phone, and recommend a visit if required. Outcomes The project aims to support young people to progress towards independent living. The outcomes it seeks to deliver are: Young people with extensive previous experience of being looked after in the community and/or in residential placements sustaining progress with their more positive attitudes and behaviours, building resilience and preventing relapses Young people with strengthened employability skills and increased numbers accessing learning, training or employment More young people have access to continuous, positive supportive relationships Improved young people s confidence towards independent living. Measuring success Includem has a bespoke database which captures information on each young person, support being provided, and progress being made. The database records each client contact, both planned and crisis. It collects Outcomes Star scores and tracks the use of A Better Life modules. The project worker also uses the database to record contacts with external agencies, information reported by clients on offending behaviour, progress towards accessing employment, education, training or volunteering. The database also collects softer information such as strengthened positive relationships with friends and family. The Outcomes Star generates the evidence which is recorded in these areas. The project uses the Outcomes Star to measure progress in six key areas of the young person s life: Drugs and alcohol Wellbeing Safety and security Structure, education and employment Behaviour and citizenship Family and other key adults 76

78 The Outcomes Star provides a measure of individual progress and provides a measure of the impact of the programme across all participants. The Outcomes Star is used regularly with the young person and their project worker as an integral part of the project assessment, review, and action planning, with all data entered into the Includem database. Includem is also working with a team from the University of Edinburgh criminology department who will deliver a longitudinal study of young people who have exited the Transitional Support Service. The study will include an analysis of the impact of the programme on re-offending, and will identify the critical success factors in achieving sustained outcomes among young people. Learning about what works Better use of existing services/sustaining engagement with other services A critical success factor for this project has been that the support from the Transitional Support Programme can enable clients to access and sustain engagement with other mainstream services. This client group has often disengaged from all services and therefore is not accessing the support that is available. Includem reports that this approach requires partnership working with other services, requiring other programmes to be flexible about sharing clients with Includem. Flexibility Includem report that in working with young people with chaotic lives or intense support needs, it is essential that organisations and agencies recognise that the client journey is not linear. The project model must be flexible enough to allow levels of support to be stepped up during times of crisis. Crisis support is critical to provide a safety net which stops young people from returning to destructive behaviours. Building a trust-based relationship Includem recognise that young people may have had experience of being rejected or let down badly by adults in the past. Overcoming this experience, and working to build a trust based relationship with young people, requires time and persistence on the part of project staff and volunteers. Once built, this relationship will allow workers to support young people to learn from mistakes, to continue to build progress despite setbacks, and to overcome crisis points. Challenges Moving clients towards independent living A challenge of working with this client group is balancing the need for intense levels of support with the objective of supporting the young person to be able to live independently. 77

79 Values/beliefs Includem has found that this client group can be seen as problematic or challenging by other agencies, and as such agencies can be unwilling to work with them. This can make it more difficult for young people to access the services that they need. 78

80 Adolescents Leaving the Justice System (Opportunity Youth) Project name: Adolescents Leaving the Justice System (ADJUST) Delivered by: Opportunity Youth Amount: 500,000 from BIG Northern Ireland Duration of funding: This is a three year award. The project April 2012 to March 2015 Introduction Opportunity Youth is one of the largest youth organisations in Northern Ireland. Established in 1993, it delivers services to clients in locations such as juvenile justice centres, young offenders centres, prisons, youth clubs, residential care, schools and the home. Opportunity Youth services include family support, counselling, mentoring and advocacy. Over 20,000 vulnerable young people, adults and their families receive support each year. The ADJUST project works with young people aged who are in custody, on remand, or at the end of their prison sentence in the Young Offenders Centre or Juvenile Justice Centre. Its primary aim is to reduce reoffending among this client group. The project aims to work with 120 young people each year for three years in the Greater Belfast and in Derry/Londonderry areas. The young people engaging with this project present a number of challenges. Many will have been in care or secure accommodation. Family relationships may have broken down, and often there is often a history of low educational attainment, and poor literacy and numeracy skills. The majority of young people have extremely chaotic lifestyles, often with experience of chronic drug abuse, domestic violence and abuse. The need for the project The project addresses a recognised gap in services for young offenders in Northern Ireland (the gap is identified in the Review of Northern Ireland Prison Service). Existing support services for young offenders stop at the point of release. This project addresses the gap by engaging young people while in custody, but also providing support at the gate and post release, to support them to develop more stable lifestyles. The project also recognises that young offenders have complex needs and barriers to overcome in order to move into stable lifestyles, such as mental health issues, 79

81 drug and alcohol abuse and risk taking lifestyles. Many also lack life and social skills and have low levels of educational attainment. Opportunity Youth held a series of focus groups with young offenders within the justice system when planning this programme. The focus groups identified the range of issues facing young people on release from custody (lack of knowledge of entitlements and inability to deal with the benefits system, problems in securing appropriate accommodation, dealing with addiction problems, support to deal with bail conditions and other legal requirements and problems in finding work and in disclosing their convictions). Young people in the focus groups prioritised personal development needs (such as literacy and numeracy, communication, social skills, patience and drug and alcohol management) and employability support (understanding the world of work, interview skills, time management and specific job skills) as key requirements. Additionally, the focus groups informed the ethos of the programme, in particular highlighting that the service would have to be dissimilar to school or other formal structures of which young people have had previous experience. The approach and rationale The ADJUST approach delivers a continuum of care, working with young offenders before release, on the day of release and for up to six months post release. It aims to address the complex range of issues which contribute to offending behaviour through personal development, development of life skills and employability skills. The ADJUST programme engages young people while still in custody to assess needs and then provides an intensive mentoring programme and individualised support package that is available for up to six months post release. Opportunity Youth uses motivational interviewing techniques as the bedrock of their mentoring programme. Motivational interviewing is a technique which is used to increase motivation for change, resolve ambivalence, strengthen commitment and carry through with behaviour change. The programme then provides ongoing support post release to assist young people to engage in activities and services which will help them to achieve their personal goals. The project The programme is delivered in three stages: Pre-release, on release and postrelease. Pre release Referrals are received from staff in the Young Offenders Centre or Juvenile Justice Centre. Opportunity Youth delivers other services from these centres and there are good relationships between Opportunity Youth staff and centre staff teams. This 80

82 allows Opportunity Youth to identify those young people who are most at risk and will benefit from the ADJUST project. The pre release support allows young people to develop a relationship with their key worker. An assessment process is undertaken at this stage to identify the key issues that the young person needs to address. This results in the development of a personal action plan. The action plan identifies achievable steps which can be taken to enable the young person to establish a more stable lifestyle on release. Some of the goals identified by young offenders may appear to be very small steps. For some, the goal may be to manage to stay out of custody, or in some cases to come back into the criminal justice system for a lesser offence, or to take longer to come back into the system. However, the goals are set to reflect the individual aspirations of each young person and are goals which the young person feels to be achievable. Opportunity Youth avoids setting unattainable goals with young offenders as this can lead to disillusionment and disengagement. On release Recognising that the day of release from custody has the potential to trigger a crisis for many young offenders, Opportunity Youth collects the young person from their release point and escorts them to their accommodation and to meetings with agencies. This on the gate pickup prevents young people from missing their accommodation placements or appointments with agencies and helps to prevent relapses into offending behaviour, or misuse of drugs or alcohol, in the first few days following release. The gate pickup is an important prevention measure as release of vulnerable young people can trigger an immediate relapse into drugs or alcohol. Post release For the first three months following release, the project offers a programme of 12 mentoring sessions, meeting with the young person at least once a week. This frequency of meetings can increase to a daily meeting at times of crisis. The mentoring sessions focus on supporting young people to make the changes identified in their personal action plan. The key worker also provides practical support to assist the young person to address his or her action plan: supporting the young person to engage with agencies to address his needs, such as housing, benefits and other services and supporting the young person to build links with his community and family (where possible). The key worker will also work with the young person to identify appropriate employability services and support the young person to engage and sustain engagement in these services. Where appropriate, young people are also referred for groupwork support to address their offending behaviour. Opportunity Youth delivers an Exploring Behaviours module which is accredited through the Open College Network. 81

83 Cases are reviewed every six weeks to ensure that the action plans continue to address appropriate need. After three months, support from the key worker will taper off, as the young person moves towards independent living. Support sessions will continue to address the action plan, but also focus on supporting the young person to establish their own structure and support systems. Outcomes This project seeks to support young people to develop the skills and capacities which will enable them to respond to and cope with life events. The agreed outcomes are: Young people will develop coping strategies in dealing with their high risk behaviours and managing negative peer and community influence resulting in reduced antisocial and offending behaviours. Young People will have increased awareness regarding the impact of social and economic exclusion and how this can be addressed successfully. This will have a positive impact on the proportion of young people who are involved in offending behaviours. Young People are better supported to further engage in education, training or employment. Young people will become more employable as a result of increased literacy, numeracy and ICT skills which will positively impact on reoffending behaviours. Measuring success Opportunity Youth uses a number of different tools to track progress towards these outcomes. While the young person is still in custody, the worker uses the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) to identify needs and issues to work on. The ASI is designed for use with drug and alcohol users and has been used extensively for treatment planning and outcome evaluation. However, Opportunity Youth has found that the issues it identifies provide a useful framework for planning for their client group. It is a semi-structured interview designed to address seven potential problem areas in substance-abusing patients: medical status, employment and support, drug use, alcohol use, legal status, family/social status and psychiatric status. The use of the ASI helps to identify the areas in which the client is experiencing greatest difficulty, whether that is drug or alcohol use, mental health or legal issues and therefore provides a framework for action planning. The assessment process also produces a score for each problem area, which provides a baseline measure for that individual. The issues identified through the ASI form the basis for action planning with each young person. The ASI is then carried out again at the end of the period of support and changes in the scores show progress in each area of the young person s personal action plan. Opportunity Youth provide staff training twice a year to 82

84 ensure that staff are using the Severity Index in the same way and therefore that the scoring is consistent. The young person also completes a self-assessment tool at their first and last sessions. This provides a self-assessed score for the young person s confidence, self-esteem, knowledge and ability to access other services etc. This tool provides a measure of progress against these softer outcomes. Opportunity Youth is commissioning an external evaluation in April This will identify early learning from the programme and inform future delivery. Learning about what works Building relationships with participants prior to release Building relationships with young offenders prior to release is critical to maintaining engagement with the programme. Early results from the project show that 60% of young people are sustaining engagement with the project. This figure is lower than anticipated as a result of the referral of a number of offenders with only a few weeks left to serve. Opportunity Youth has found that those young people serving shorter terms in custody (or referred close to their release date) and therefore receiving little contact from workers before release have a lower level of engagement with the project post-release. Involving families Opportunity Youth reports that investing some time in working with the families of young offenders can be useful. Workers have also found that, where families have some relationship with the key worker, they have started to use them as a resource, contacting them at times of crisis for the young person. This has allowed Opportunity Youth to re-engage and provide support to young people through crisis points. Voluntary rather than mandatory service Opportunity Youth feels that the voluntary nature of the programme is essential to building a level of trust between the young person and the worker. Some referral partners have suggested using the programme as a compulsory element of a probation settlement, but Opportunity Youth has avoided this as it would jeopardise the trust-based relationship. Challenges Recognising progress toward outcomes Opportunity Youth is working with an extremely challenging client group and progress for this group often means very small steps which are difficult to measure. The challenge for the project is to get funders, other stakeholders and often the clients themselves to recognise progress and see the small steps as a pathway toward bigger outcomes. 83

85 Clients perceptions of services A secondary challenge of working with this client group is that many have had negative experiences in the past of learning, of education and of other support agencies. Opportunity Youth works to overcome these barriers by ensuring that their own service is approachable and by supporting young people to access other services. 84

86 Going Home (Gibran) Project Name: Going Home Delivered by: Gibran Amount: 871,707 from BIG Wales Duration of funding: This was a five year award. The project operated from 2008 to February Introduction Gibran is a social enterprise which was established to work with socially excluded groups, particularly female ex-offenders. Going Home was a five year project which supported female ex-offenders throughout Wales to transition back into the community following release from prison. The project provided peer support to ex-offenders to address the long term challenges of "being out and staying out" of prison. The project supported female ex-offenders to develop the life skills and social support that they needed to manage their lives and be active members of their community. It aimed to support 300 women ex-offenders over the five year period. The need for the project Gibran addressed the needs of women offenders leaving prison and returning to Wales. There is no women's prison in Wales. Female offenders serve their prison sentence in prisons in England. This makes prisoners more isolated during their sentence, and can lead to additional problems in resettlement due to loss of contact with family etc. At the time that the project was conceived, there was no statutory support for women leaving prison unless they had served a sentence of over 12 months or had drug and alcohol issues. This meant that 75% of women leaving prison received no support from probation services. The approach and rationale Going Home operates a peer support approach based on the success of an earlier pilot project delivered at Eastwood Park Prison. The pilot project had identified the needs and the concerns that female exoffenders face in re-integrating into their home community. The primary concerns for female ex-offenders focused on family breakdown (including losing their children), loss of accommodation, mental health problems, lack of confidence, poor self esteem, poor communication skills, isolation and disconnect from families and friends. 85

87 The approach sought to support ex-offenders to develop confidence and selfesteem to address these issues. The project would also support women to address the practical barriers to resettlement by supporting them to access the services they required (housing, benefits, children's services) and by signposting them and supporting them to take up other wider opportunities such as employability training, volunteering, education etc. The key to the project approach is the use of peer mentors. The project aimed to recruit ex-offenders who had successfully integrated back into their communities as mentors. These peer mentors were trained to provide information and support to beneficiaries to improve self-confidence and develop the life skills that they need to move out of chaotic lifestyles and towards resettlement in their communities. The approach therefore provided a second tier of opportunities and progression routes for ex-offenders, as service users were offered the opportunity to train as peer mentors, providing volunteering opportunities and developing skills and experience which would build their own employability. The project Engaging ex-offenders The project was aimed at women who were in prison and about to leave custody and return to Wales, and also to women who might have been out of custody for some time, but who required support to rebuild their lives. Women were referred to the project directly by the prison or probation service, or for those who had already left custody, could be referred by another agency or self-referred. Referral statistics show that by the fourth year of operation, approximately half of the referrals had come from the prison and probation service, with the other half from voluntary sector organisations, Job Centreplus or self-referral. Gibran initially focussed recruitment resources on Eastwood Park Prison, which is the most common location for female offenders from Wales to serve their sentence, but by the end of the five year project had promoted the project more widely and had referrals from eight prisons. Pre-release In the early phase, the project did not have the resources to provide support to women pre-release, but as the project increased the number of peer mentors, it started to develop more support at the pre-release stage. This ranged from a 'penpal' scheme where mentors would write to women in prison to develop a relationship pre-release, through to more direct support to arrange accommodation and other necessary services prior to the release date. On release The project arranged to meet with the female ex-offenders as soon as they were released and had returned to Wales. This usually meant meeting the women at the most appropriate train station. The project team then took the women to the key 86

88 support agencies usually probation and housing services and accompanied her to her accommodation. Post release/support to those who are already in the community The project provides one-to-one support to identify the needs of each individual. The project provides support around each of the key areas identified in the National Offender Management Service offender pathways, but the services are tailored to the needs of each individual. The level of support that the project provided depended on the level and intensity of need, in some cases proving intense support and advocacy to assist clients to access services such as benefits and housing and mental health services. The team also supported women to attend court and other legal proceedings, to attend meetings with social services and in arranging contact arrangements with children. The project also provided one-to-one mentoring and group-work opportunities to address the psychosocial needs of the ex-offender (isolation, damage caused through broken relationships with families and children, depression and negative feelings). The project also provided a range of 'fun' activities and informal learning opportunities (building confidence and addressing isolation). They also offered training in practical skills such as budgeting and financial literacy to build the capacity of ex-offenders for independent living. The project has developed new services over the years to respond to the needs of participants and has innovated to overcome geographic barriers to access to services. For example, around 60% of women supported by the project suffer from mental health issues. To provide 24/7 access to support to women who are geographically as well as socially isolated, the project used an on-line service which provides access to trained counsellors and to peer support. The project also provided computer notebooks to women who live in remote areas. This was not only critical in enabling women to access services and social networks, but also built confidence and IT skills, which enhance employability. The project also supported a mini social enterprise which was run by volunteers. Glad Rags provided access to high quality second hand clothing for women coming out of custody, and also provided opportunities for volunteers to engage in the running of the enterprise. By providing volunteering opportunities within and alongside the project, Going Home was able to increase access to volunteering opportunities to ex-offenders and support them to build confidence and employability skills. The project has also supported women into training, volunteering and work placements in external agencies. 87

89 The project always leaves the door open for people to contact them for support, even when they are officially closed down as beneficiaries. In this way, women can move away from the project steadily, decreasing their contact with the knowledge that it is there if needed. Outcomes The Going Home outcomes reflect the breadth of scope of the project: To improve self-esteem, self-confidence, motivation and lifeskills. Women ex-offenders are better able to meet life challenges and transitions. Women ex-offenders are volunteering and contributing to their communities. Measuring success As the first two of the three outcomes were soft outcomes, and therefore difficult to measure, the project identified a set of indicators to show progress toward these outcomes. The table below gives examples of the indicators. Outcome To improve self-esteem, self-confidence, motivation and lifeskills Women ex-offenders are better able to meet life challenges and transitions Women ex-offenders are volunteering and contributing to their communities. Indicators Number of women reporting improved confidence Number of women communicating more effectively Number of women feeling more in control of their lives More effective at expressing needs to statutory agencies More assertive in dealing with others Number of women undertaking volunteering Number of women in paid employment Number women trained as volunteer peer mentors in the project Number of women progressing from peer mentors into employment in the project Gibran developed a tracking database to track outcomes for individuals. Monitoring data show that the project was successful in engaging with clients and in progressing them toward outcomes: 467 women had received support from the project by the end of the project. All participants had made progress towards outcomes 1 and 2 42 women trained as Peer Mentors in total: o All were volunteering either as peer mentors in the project or volunteering in other aspects of the project. o Some volunteers have progressed into employment elsewhere 88

90 o One of the volunteer peer mentors progressed into employment as an outreach worker with Going Home. An external evaluation also provided further evidence of the softer outcomes on ex-offenders. It identified significant improvements in mental well-being, confidence and self esteem, positive identity, and also increased resilience. Learning about what works The external evaluation highlighted a number of lessons and examples of good practice. Relationship building with clients The evaluation concludes that the critical success factor of the project is the nature of the relationship between the staff, mentors and beneficiaries. The project records show that many clients drop out of support for long periods of time, but have developed a strong and positive relationship with the project which enables them to re-engage when they need additional support. Values and ethos The evaluation also highlighted values and ethos as critical success factors of the project. The project ethos is based in a belief in the capacity of participants to change, and the project workers demonstrated genuine commitment and a tenacity to stick with clients throughout their journey. Flexibility and responsiveness/meeting client needs The project does not provide a set programme, but tailors support around the needs of the individual. The focus and intensity of support depend on the issues identified by the client. Whole person approach/meeting psychosocial needs The project delivers a whole person approach, and addresses the ex-offenders psychosocial needs as well as practical needs. For many of the women, their practical needs were inextricably linked to their psychosocial needs and therefore addressing psychosocial needs has been the critical success factor in addressing practical barriers to resettlement in the community. Challenges Geographic challenge Although the project has developed innovative ways to provides services to women throughout Wales through outreach and the use of IT, one of the key challenges for this project has been geography (for example managing the mismatch between the location of trained peer mentors and new clients needing a mentor). 89

91 Families Affected by Imprisonment (Circle Scotland) Project name: Families Affected by Imprisonment (FABI) Delivered by: Family Service Unit Scotland, operating as Circle Scotland Amount: 436,068 from BIG Scotland Duration of funding: This is a five year award. The project started in January Introduction Family Service Unit Scotland, operating as Circle, has been working in Scotland for over 30 years. The charity provides whole family support to marginalised children and families. The projects delivered by Circle are focused on children and families who are at risk of exclusion and abuse, or are affected by parental drug and alcohol misuse or by parental imprisonment. The FABI project is a through care project for male prisoners who are fathers in HMP Addiewell. However, the unique aspect of the project is that it operates a whole family approach, providing support to fathers, their partners, and children. The project supports the father to rebuild family ties and supports the family to develop skills and strategies to improve parenting practices and their capacity to deal with everyday life. The project also provides practical support to both the father and the family pre-release and post release to engage with the range of services that they require in order to address their wider needs. The project works with fathers from HMP Addiewell and their families in North and South Lanarkshire and West Lothian. It works with 30 fathers and their families each year. The need for the project This project builds on an existing through care project for male prisoners delivered by Circle in HMP Addiewell. Circle recognised that the number of fathers who identified a need for assistance with family related issues was much greater than could be met by the existing project. Further research on the client group by Circle identified that many of the fathers had multiple and complex needs (drug and alcohol addictions, anger issues, mental health, abusive relationships, housing problems, worklessness, low educational attainment) and furthermore that a significant number were in relationships with partners who had chaotic lifestyles. Circle carried out a consultation with fathers and their families at Addiewell prison to better understand the needs and issues of the client group: 90

92 Fathers accepted that their families had been affected by their imprisonment. Fathers and their families identified the need for additional support on release. Fathers and their families identified a need for support with parenting skills and help to develop a better relationship with their children. Some fathers also wanted support to gain access to their children. Fathers and families also identified practical support needs: help with financial issues, support to get children to doctor and dental appointments, help to establish regular attendance at school and nursery, and help to support their children at school and nursery. The approach and rationale There is growing evidence of the link between strong, healthy, pro-social family support and the likelihood of a significant reduction in re-offending: Having family ties can reduce the likelihood of re-offending by 39 per cent. Overall, prisoners who are visited by a family member have a significantly lower re-offending rate: the odds are 39 per cent higher that they will re offend within a year if they have received no visits. The approach also recognises the hidden harm of imprisonment on families, in particular on children, and also the impact of imprisonment on intergenerational offending. Families are at risk of family breakdown due to the impact imprisonment can have both in the custody period and after release. Imprisonment can impact on families in terms of isolation, stigma, financial hardship, deteriorating physical and mental health and difficulties in caring for children. Children may be particularly affected by the loss of a loved one or by changes in their care arrangements. The project approach therefore works to re-build family ties, improve relationships and to develop parenting skills. It also provides practical support to assist families to address their practical needs and improve their capacity and resilience to deal with everyday life. The approach is strengths-based, looking for assets within families and communities. It is solution-focussed, encouraging families to identify and set achievable goals. At a practical level, the approach builds relationships with the father and the family pre-release and works towards the development of a family action plan. The plan identifies outcomes for the father in relation to his resettlement in the community, but also for the development of his relationship and parenting skills. The plan also identifies the wider needs of the family (both while the father is in prison, and post release) and the project supports the family to access services to address these needs. The unique element of the Circle approach is that it provides a whole-family approach. The over arching ethos of the project is to support the family to manage 91

93 day to day life, with a particular focus on making the father aware of the effect of his behaviour on his family, and increasing the parents capacity to meet their children s needs. The approach is therefore intensive. Support is provided frequently and over an extended timescale. Support is very flexible, responsive to the busy lives that families lead. The project Referral and client introduction Prison staff in HMP Addiewell may refer any new prisoner who is a father and could benefit from the project. Awareness of the project is built into the new prisoner induction process. Clients may also self-refer to the project. Pre release Immediately following referral, the worker begins to build a relationship with the father. The goal of this early activity is to build a supportive relationship. During this pre-release stage, the worker engages with the father to identify their issues, their motivation for engaging with the project, and their plans for release. An action plan will start to take shape. The project will start to address the needs of the father while he is still in custody, either directly or by referral to other services. Fathers may receive counselling about their own early childhoods, support to develop parenting skills, support to address relationship issues, or referrals to services to address substance misuse or mental health issues. Once a trust-based relationship has started to develop, the workers will ask permission to contact the prisoner s family and, once permission is given, will visit the family and carry out a needs assessment. This assessment is based on the Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) framework, and is used to devise a support plan for the family which is then discussed and agreed with the family. Support is also delivered to the family before release. The worker may deliver parenting support, such as encouragement to establish routines and boundaries, or provide support to address practical issues such as housing or benefits. They will also support families to access other services in the community. The project also supports families to visit the prison during custody to re-establish or maintain bonds with the father. Levels of support vary from advice on travel to accompanying families to visit the prison. The goal of these two streams of activity the work in prison with the father and the work with the family outside the prison is that at the point of release, both the family will have an established trust based relationship with the project worker. This is key to sustaining engagement of the family post release. On release The project operates a gate pickup service. The father is met on release and taken to his home or to meet with services such as housing offices, benefits, etc. If he is returning to the family home, some work is done beforehand to prepare the family 92

94 for this return. The project works before and at release to promote the relationships between the parents and their children at the time of release, in particular addressing the relationship pressures which can be created by the release of the father. Post release Post release support can last for any length of time. Some families feel that after six months they are ready to manage with no support, while in other cases support can last for two years or more. Support to the father Work with the ex-offender post release is on an individual basis and responds to the needs identified in their action plan. Men could be supported to receive counselling for mental health issues, access drug and alcohol services, continue to develop their parenting and relationship skills, and address offending issues. Support to families Support to the family post release is based on their needs. The service will support the whole family to become more able to manage independently, to parent more effectively, and to access the services which the family need. This can include work to ensure that children are registered with health and dental services, work in schools to support children, referral to other agencies, direct support with parenting skills, and any other identified support required. Outcomes This project seeks to deliver outcomes for children and their families. The overarching outcome for the project is: Children and families affected by imprisonment have improved relationships and increased resilience. Measuring success The project identifies outcomes for each member of the family and for the family as a whole through the assessment and action planning process. Outcomes will be different for each family, but the majority of outcomes are soft and the project has identified a range of indicators to measure progress towards these outcomes. The initial assessment of the family uses the Scottish Government s GIRFEC wellbeing indicators to devise a support plan for the family. The project also uses these indicators to measure progress toward outcomes. Circle has developed a bespoke web-based database which collects holds all monitoring data such as client information, but also captures all activities delivered by the project, as well as each outcome achieved. The database allows project workers to collect evidence of the progress of each family member against the goals/outcomes set in the family action plan. The database also enables the individual targets and milestones for each service user to be clearly identified and recorded. 93

95 Indicators for children might include improved interaction with others at school or children attaining appropriate developmental milestones. Indicators for families could include the parents being more confident in their parenting skills; improved routines and boundaries in the family; or improved engagement in community activities. Indicators for fathers might include involvement in pro-social activities or employability activity. Circle gather data to evidence these indicators through observation of the family and family members. They also collect feedback from the family by reviewing the family action plan as well as measuring changes in confidence, self-esteem and self-efficacy. Circle also gather feedback from other agencies, both on hard indicators (e.g. children s attendance at school, timekeeping at school) and on softer indicators such as the quality of the relationship between families and education staff. Learning about what works Trust based relationship The development of a strong relationship between the project, the father and his family is critical to sustaining engagement post release. The focus for intervention The evaluation of the through care project identified that a critical success factor of the project had been that the Circle approach treated the offender as a father as opposed to a prisoner. This approach was significant and marked Circle as different to other services. A number of ex-offenders identified this shift in perspective and personal identity as a key factor in sustaining the process of desisting from offending. Enabling access to other services The evaluation also identified that Circle has good connections with other services both within the prison and in the community. This has been critical to ensuring that ex-offenders and their families access the wide range of support services that they need. Challenges Key challenges which Circle have identified in working with this client group include: Stigma The stigma attached to being associated with someone in prison can act as a barrier to partners and children wanting to maintain a relationship with the exoffender. Values Circle have found in many cases that other professionals engaging with their clients do not believe in the capacity of individuals to change, and can be cynical about the efforts of the project. 94

96 Responsiveness of other services Some services cannot respond in the timescales which are critical to the prisoner at the point of release. Gaps in these services (for example benefits or housing) create crisis points for ex-offenders which can push them towards abusing drugs and alcohol or possibly to re-offending. 95

97 Invisible Walls (G4S Care and Justice UK Ltd) Project Name: Invisible Walls Delivered by: G4S Care and Justice UK Ltd Amount: 3,137,446 from BIG Wales. Duration of funding: This is four year award which started in August Introduction G4S is a private sector, global organisation that operates in 114 countries and employs over half a million staff. G4S Care and Justice UK Ltd is a UK arm of the business which manages five prisons across the UK, one of which is Parc Prison and Young Offenders Unit in Bridgend, South Wales. Parc Prison holds Remand and Sentenced Category B Adult males, juveniles and young offenders. The prison is committed to rehabilitation and reducing re-offending and is leading the way in the delivery of groundbreaking rehabilitation and resettlement programmes. The Invisible Walls project builds on an evolving programme of rehabilitative programmes and family based interventions within Parc Prison: In the summer of 2010, Parc Prison opened an interventions led family visits centre (IVLC). This development signalled a shift in the focus of prison visits to a family interventions approach with rehabilitation as a central goal. In November 2010 Parc Prison opened the first ever Family Interventions Unit (FIU), a new 60 bed living unit for prisoners where the focus of the environment is upon repairing, enhancing and taking responsibility for relationships, parenting and family. The ILVC and the FIU are at the centre of the Invisible Walls project. Funding from the Big Lottery has enabled Parc Prison to build on these innovations and accelerate the development of the Invisible Walls Project. Invisible Walls takes a whole family approach it works with prisoners and their families and engages the whole family in both the pre-release and post release phases of the project. Participants in the Invisible Walls project are prisoners who have at least four months and up to 12 months left to serve. They are prisoners who have already achieved a place within the Family Intervention Unit, and have therefore made a commitment to repairing and taking responsibility for their family relationships. The family may be the wife/partner, but could also be the mother/sister or other relative of the prisoner who is the primary carer of any children who are included in the project. 96

98 The project aims to work with approximately twenty families per year (approximately 80 prisoners and 80 families over the life of the project). The need for the project The fundamental need for the Invisible Walls project arises from the need to reduce the number of prisoners who go on to re-offend and return to custody. The Prisons with a Purpose Sentencing and Rehabilitation Revolution Green Paper (2010) identified that the current provision is not working, with 65% of prisoners convicted of further crimes within two years of release. Another key issue underpinning the need for this approach was the growing evidence on the transmission of intergenerational offending. Action for Prisoners Families produced research which showed that for every ten male prisoners who had sons under the age of 15, six sons were likely to end up serving custodial sentences like their fathers. Research on Family factors in the intergenerational transmission of offending (Farrington, Coid, Murray. 2009) concluded that the intergenerational transmission of offending may be mediated by family, socio-economic and individual risk factors. Intervention to reduce intergenerational transmission could target these risk factors. The need for the project is also underpinned by a cost saving argument. Evidence from Improving Prisoners Family Ties (New Philanthropy Capital) shows that if prisoners and their families are supported in positive engagement whilst in custody, there is a cost saving in terms of a reduction in reoffending. % who do not reoffend % who do reoffend Prisoners who were visited 48% 52% Prisoners who were not visited 30% 70% All prisoners 42% 58% In 2002, the Social Exclusion Unit estimated that re-offenders on average cost 65,000 (in 2001/2002 prices) in the run-up to their conviction in crime and court costs. In 2009/2010 prices, this is the equivalent of 80,185. Because visited prisoners are less likely to reoffend, an approach which encourages increased family ties between offenders and their families is likely to create a cost saving in the longer term. The approach and rationale The last ten years has seen a groundswell of government commissioned reports into the impact that children and families have upon prisoners. The results have indicated a clear link between strong, healthy, pro-social family support and the likelihood of a significant reduction in re-offending. 97

99 If a prisoner maintains and improves family engagement whilst in custody, that prisoner is up to six times less likely to re-offend following release. (Social Exclusion Unit Taskforce 2002) The Invisible Walls approach is based on rebuilding family bonds to develop this pro-social family support for the offender. The vision and the approach for the Invisible Walls project is built on the view that if prisoners could see through the prison walls and witness the impact their criminal behaviour has on their family and community, this can create a powerful reaction which can be used as a catalyst for positive change. Similarly, if the family and community could see through the prison walls at the genuine effort and commitment of those prisoners who strive to achieve change, then a positive shift in perception and a willingness to support could be harnessed and added to the motivation and efforts of the offender. Where a number of other approaches focus on addressing the practical barriers to resettlement that ex-offenders face (accommodation, employability, addictions etc.) the Invisible Walls project works from the premise that real and lasting change in offenders behaviour occurs as a result of the recognition of the harm that their offending behaviour has caused to their children and families. The project therefore works to rebuild the bonds between offenders and their families, increasing the recognition of that harm and harnessing their desire to improve the lives of their children and families. The approach reflects a core human value that individuals want to protect their own children and families. Research has shown that offenders tend to have the same set of values in relation to their children and families as non-offenders, but they struggle to control the gap between their values and their behaviour. It is the dissonance between the offenders values and their behaviour that creates a powerful motivator to change, and which provides the motivation for offenders to engage with the project. However, the approach does not only focus on the offender the entire family are participants in the project, and a critical success factor of the approach is the engagement of the family both pre and post release. The family develops a family focused action plan, and the prisoner and the family are therefore working towards the same goals and objectives. As a result, the project delivers outcomes for families and for children of offenders. The project The project operates a whole family approach with the entire family and the prisoner signing up to the programme. The project delivers interventions to both the prisoner and family for up to 12 months pre-release and six months post release. 98

100 The interventions are driven by a family focused action plan. The outcomes for each family are not prescribed, and the family support plan is an inclusive process which is driven by the family. As a result each family plan is different and the particular combination of interventions and the manner in which they progress will depend on personal circumstances. However, the plan forms the basis for interventions for the prisoner (inside the prison) and for the family in the community. The plan ensures that prisoners and family participants progress at the same time, to the same plan. The project is delivered through three hubs: The Prison Hub Within the prison, there are various interventions available for prisoner participants. These include personal development, behaviour management, addictions support programmes focusing upon employment, training, education, resettlement and social enterprise. The Transitional Hub This is the core of the delivery framework and is where the inside meets the outside Families and prisoners work together to develop their family focused plan. Many of the interventions in the Transitional Hub are designed to work with the whole family, so families and prisoners are starting to build relationships and to work together towards their family goals, even while they are still in prison. (Interventions include parenting support, lads and dads Learning Together Club, Family Man etc). Families are also supported to access to a range of services in the community (statutory and voluntary) to support them to progress toward their goals. The interventions are delivered by a combination of Family Intervention Mentors, Family Intervention Unit staff and external providers. The Community Hub This represents the specific aspects of the project that are particular to the family participants, both adults and children. Some of the interventions will involve coming to the prison as part of the Transitional Hub, others will be delivered within the community, or in some cases in the family home. The delivery of the project is underpinned by Family Intervention Mentors (FIMs) who case manage each family and draw on other staff and other agencies as required to support the prisoner inside the prison and the family within the community. The project has ten dedicated staff within Parc Prison (Family Intervention Mentors, drug specialist, social worker etc) and nine staff who are predominantly community based. Barnardo s Cymru deliver much of the community based work, but all staff work both in and out of the prison and a key element of the project is the continuity of relationships pre and post release. Outcomes The project is a whole family approach and it seeks to deliver outcomes not only for the prisoner, but also for the family and children. 99

101 The key outcomes that it seeks to deliver are: Reduce the likelihood of offender participants returning to crime and imprisonment post release. Increase the quality of life and positive community inclusion for whole families. Impact positively upon the issues relating to intergenerational offending with the child participants. Measuring Success The project collects monitoring data to evidence progress against the key performance indicators for the project levels of engagement, take up of different interventions by prisoners and families, frequency of contact, take up of services in the community etc. The project also collects data to evidence progress toward outcomes identified in individual Family Action Plans. The outcomes for each family will be different, therefore the data collection will be different in each case, but the project will track outcomes for the ex-offender, the family and any children involved in the project. An external evaluation has been commissioned to assess the impact of the project against the high level outcomes (reducing re-offending, positive community inclusion for families and reduction in intergenerational offending among children). The evaluation is being carried out by the Welsh Centre for Crime and Social Justice and will span the entire duration of the Invisible Walls project. The external evaluation has three main functions: Identify the outcomes and impact of the project (against the key outcomes). An action research process which will identify the key lessons from the delivery of the project and inform the development of practice throughout the life of the project. Research to identify the intermediary outcomes which contribute to the achievement of positive longer term outcomes for ex-offenders. The external research will therefore identify the impact of the project, and explore the extent to which intermediary outcomes influence the achievement of final outcomes. As a result, it will also inform research on what works in offender rehabilitation. It is also anticipated that the research will provide further evidence of the cost saving which can result from this preventative approach. A further expected outcome of the project is replication there is an aspiration is that the model can be replicated in other prisons in the UK and inform practice more generally. The target for replication has already been surpassed. Parc Prison has provided support to two prisons (one private sector and one public sector prison) to develop Family Intervention Units and have trained staff to deliver the FIU approach. 100

102 Additionally, G4S prisons have already made the commitment (in March 2011) to transform all their existing and developing visits provision to the Interventions Led Visits Complex (ILVC) model. This is already apparent in the UK s largest prison, HMP Oakwood which opened in Learning about what works Although the Invisible Walls project is still in its infancy, the project seeks to build on the recognised successes of the Family Intervention Unit (opened in Nov 2011). To date the Family Intervention Unit has released 230 prisoners, of which have been reconvicted. This represents a 13-15% reconviction rate compared to the national statistic of 66% returning to prison within 24 months. Relationship building/continuity of relationship The relationship between the Family Intervention Mentor (FIM) and the prisoner and his family is the key to the success of the project. The FIM is the case manager for the prisoner and his family and is responsible for drawing up the Family Support Plan and for accessing the range of other services which support both the prisoner and family toward their goals. The development of a trust based relationship with the FIM and the continuity of that relationship after the release of the prisoner is critical to the ongoing engagement of all parties with agencies in the community who can support the family to achieve the planned outcomes. Partnership Invisible Walls is a partnership project. While Parc Prison had previous relationships with a number of the current partners, Invisible Walls is drawing the partnership closer into a real delivery partnership rather than organisations working side-by-side. The partnership is perhaps more unique given the nature of the organisations involved: a private sector prison, the local authority, a number of third sector organisations, the Welsh Probation Trust, and NOMS (National Offender Management Service). A public sector prison is also now involved in the partnership. Making better use of existing services Invisible Walls has already identified that a key issue for many of the participant families is that they do not access the services available to them. As a result of the trust based relationships that families develop with the FIM, families are accessing more existing services, resulting in better use of existing resources. Additionally, the model has enabled other providers to engage more effectively with their target client group, by bringing other service providers into the prison. An example of this is the Language and Play Programme, a nationally funded programme which seeks to support early years learning by engaging parents in learning through play. A key issue for the programme has been in its capacity to engage fathers in the programme. Parc Prison has brought the Language and Play into the prison, enabling prisoners and their families to engage in the programme, 101

103 building parenting skills and involvement in early years learning, and also assisting Language and Play to engage with its target client group. Challenges Data sharing One of the challenges for the project has been data sharing. The partnership involves organisations in the private sector, third sector and the public agencies. Each of the partner organisations had its own data systems, data protection systems, consents, child protection policies, and monitoring and evaluation systems etc. The Invisible Walls project has had to develop an information sharing protocol which allowed all partners to retain their individual systems, but ensure that data can be shared appropriately to facilitate effective joint working. All partners in Invisible Walls are now signed up to the Wales Accord on the Sharing of Personal Information (WASPI) under which each partner has committed to meet agreed standards for the sharing of personal identifiable information, and to use the framework. 102

104 Appendix 2: List of Outcomes Project The One Service (Peterborough Social Impact Bond) Routes out of Prison Roots and Shoots Workstyle Project Outcomes The key measure of success is: A reduction in reoffending rates. The Routes out of Prison project sought to: Increase ex-offenders access to relevant community based services to address their general welfare, employment and family issues; Increase access to positive outcomes such as education and employment; Increase positive mental health and stability through supporting ex-offenders and their families; and Achieve a 2%-5% reduction in the return to custody rates of RooP participants over the course of the project. The agreed outcomes for this project are: To support prisoners who are removed from the labour market and ensure they are work ready by increasing their employability through training and work placements. To improve self-confidence amongst participants and remove the perceived barriers to employment. Transitions to Employment The specific outcomes it seeks to deliver for participants are: Have the confidence and skills to engage with job seeking services. Improve their employability skills by acquiring work-related skills. Move into employment, training and education. The SPAN (Supporting Prisoners Advice Network) The project seeks to deliver three key outcomes: Ex-offenders and their families will be enabled to find and keep appropriate housing. Ex-offenders have improved confidence and skills to address their wider support needs, leading to better life chances. Increased local capacity of Prison Officers and Local Authorities to provide basic housing 103

105 advice and increased awareness of housing issues faced by offenders and their families. Ordinary Homes, Extraordinary Lives Positive Tracks The Transitional Support Programme The outcomes for this project are: Young male offenders leaving detention will have stable accommodation in an Adult Placement setting, and will be supported to develop independent living skills. Young male offenders receive support and new training which enables them to re-engage with education and/or move closer to gaining employment. Young male offenders will have increased selfesteem and improved personal responsibility through the development of home and community relationships. The outcomes it seeks to deliver are: Increase the number of ex-offenders with learning support needs that are in touch with job seeking services. Increase the number of ex offenders with learning support needs moving into employment or training. Increase the number of ex offenders with learning support needs maintaining a successful tenancy. Increasing the number of of ex offenders with learning learning support needs that have a postive relationship with their friends and families. Reducing the rate of reoffending by ex offenders with learning support needs. The project aims to support young people to progress towards independent living. The outcomes it seeks to deliver are: Young people with extensive previous experience of being looked after in the community and/or in residential placements sustaining progress with their more positive attitudes and behaviours, building resilience and preventing relapses Young people with strengthened employability skills and increased numbers accessing learning, training or employment More young people have access to continuous, 104

106 positive supportive relationships Improved young people s confidence towards independent living. ADJUST Going Home Families Affected by Imprisonment This project seeks to reduce reoffending among clients. The agreed outcomes are: Young people will develop coping strategies in dealing with their high risk behaviours and managing negative peer and community influence resulting in reduced antisocial and offending behaviours. Young People will have increased awareness regarding the impact of social and economic exclusion and how this can be addressed successfully. This will have a positive impact on the proportion of young people who are involved in offending behaviours. Young People are better supported to further engage in education, training or employment. Young people will become more employable as a result of increased literacy, numeracy and ICT skills which will positively impact on reoffending behaviours. The Going Home outcomes reflect the breadth of scope of the project: To improve self-esteem, self-confidence, motivation and lifeskills. Women ex-offenders are better able to meet life challenges and transitions. Women ex-offenders are volunteering and contributing to their communities. This project seeks to deliver outcomes for families, children and the ex-offender. The overarching outcome for the project is: Children and families affected by imprisonment have improved relationships and increased resilience. Invisible Walls Invisible Walls aims to deliver three primary outcomes: Reduce the likelihood of offender participants returning to crime and imprisonment post release. Increase the quality of life and positive 105

107 community inclusion for whole families. Impact positively upon the issues relating to intergenerational offending with the child participants. 106

108 Appendix 3: Consultees We would like to thank the following people for their time in developing and reviewing the case studies. The One Service (Peterborough Social Impact Bond) Routes out of Prison Roots and Shoots Workstyle Project Transitions to Employment The SPAN (Supporting Prisoners Advice Network) Ordinary Homes, Extraordinary Lives Positive Tracks The Transitional Support Programme ADJUST Going Home Families Affected by Imprisonment Invisible Walls Emily Bolton, Social Finance Ltd Janette Powell, The One Service Fiona Benton, The Wise Group Lynn Smith, Aberdeen Forward John Reid, Access to Employment Martin Wilkie-McFarlane, Shelter Scotland Michelle Harrow, SPAN Scotland Donald MacLeod, PSS Scotland Marie McConway, PSS Scotland Gillian Murray, PSS Scotland Lynn Jolly, Cornerstone Alan Forgie, Includem Pamela Barnes, Includem Ronan McGinley, Opportunity Youth Gill Hurley, Going Home Maura Daly, Circle Scotland Corin Morgan-Armstrong, Invisible Walls Wales 107

109 Appendix 4: References Reducing reoffending by ex-prisoners; Social Exclusion Unit (SEU) in 2002 Promoting employability for ex-offenders; Paper from the Employability Learning Network, Published by Scottish Government, May 2012 Accommodation for ex-offenders: Third sector housing advice and provision, Dina Gojkovic, Alice Mills and Rosie Meek, Third Sector Research Centre, Working Paper 77, March 2012 The Future of Offender Employment: An overview of the evidence and the need, Robert Patrick & Anton Shelupanov, The Young Foundation, March 2011 Revolving Door Prisoners What Works; Revolving Doors Agency, 2011 Peterborough Social Impact Bond: an independent assessment. Development of the PSM methodology, Ministry of Justice Research Series 8/12, May 2012 Evaluation of Routes out of Prison, Criminal Justice Social Work Development Centre for Scotland, University of Edinburgh, 2011 What Works to Reduce Reoffending: A Summary of the Evidence, Dr. Maria Sapouna, Catherine Bisset, Anne-Marie Conlong, Justice Analytical Services, Scottish Government, October 2011 NOMS Commissioning Intentions for Negotiation Document: National Offender Management Service, October