The Aim is to reduce the rate of re-offending in the target group by reducing offender homelessness and is a part of the National Reducing Re-offending Action Plan’s social inclusion approach. Whilst leading on accommodation, the current model recognises the inter-related impact of a multiple factors on the risk of reconviction and the benefits of an integrated approach with respect to those which impact on each offender.
Currently three differing NOMS-funded pilots are operating in the SW Region as part of a national pathfinder: The key lessons from the pilots will be identified and will be reflected any services. As a result, the outline below offers only an indicative model of the actual provision which may be commissioned in practice.
A service specification could include requirements such as:
- assessment, advice and support for offenders, and advice for relevant prison and probation staff, in order to prevent and reduce the homelessness of offenders, both by assisting offenders to secure accommodation and assisting them to maintain that accommodation
- maximising the number of bed spaces accessible to offenders
- Influencing organisations linked to local housing, homelessness, LAA, Supporting People and community strategies to the benefit of offenders
- Service standards together with quality and access criteria
Service description:
- Supporting offenders at any point in their journey through the criminal justice system, from arrest, on release from prison and to the end of OM supervision.
- Staffing numbers and roles or required outcomes.
- Service delivery locations - some or all of prisons, probation offices, custody suites, courts and community based premises
- H ours of service, which may include out of hours service delivery
- Sources from which referrals will be accepted including some or all of the following
- local probation staff
- any prison that has prisoners returning to the designated locality – possibly prioritising named prisons
- offenders accessing substance misuse treatment through specified local DAAT commissioned treatment providers
- Local prolific and priority offender unit targets who are not subject to statutory supervision.
- All offenders assessed through OASys as having ‘some’ or ‘significant’ housing problems
- Integration of offenders into mainstream provision by the end of their period of supervision.
