Prison leavers are left out in the cold

Help with housing remains the single biggest area of need amongst our clients.  But it is becoming ever more difficult to source given the huge pressures on affordable housing. The services on which we previously relied to provide vital housing for homeless prison leavers are disappearing and our options are getting ever more limited.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, we are facing the biggest challenges in London.  However, it is an issue which affecting our work in every region. 

Dramatic changes to our welfare system have dismantled services on which we previously relied to help clients. Many hostels and supported housing projects which housed the most vulnerable and needy prison leavers have closed.  Changes to the Local Housing Allowance rate have meant that housing people in areas where there is high demand have become practically impossible.  Council housing is practically a closed door to most of our clients – only the very ill and vulnerable can hope to qualify.

The situation is particularly distressing for prison leavers with mental health problems, addictions or recovering from trauma.   In reality, we rely on privately rented multi-occupancy accommodation (i.e. house shares) to house homeless prison leavers.  We are reliant on building up good relations with landlords and many of them are happy to accept our clients.  However, they often take a low priority over students and working people who will often seem more attractive potential tenants in the eyes of many private landlords.

Such options are not suitable for everyone.  For example, a vulnerable homeless woman who has left prison and is recovering from the effects of domestic abuse requires a place where she feels safe and comfortable.  A room in a multi-occupancy house where she is sharing facilities with men is not such a place. But it is sometimes the only option available to her. The man in his 40s who had a family and 3 bedroom house before his sentence will be sharing kitchen and bathrooms with strangers on his release - if he is lucky.  Sometimes he will be reliant on sofa surfing and staying with friends. All of these factors have a negative impact on someone's ability to successfully resettle and put the past behind them.

Despite facing an uphill struggle, our caseworkers have this year so far found permanent housing for nearly 700 clients.  This is against a background of rapidly diminishing supply and increased competition from others searching for somewhere to live.  We believe this is principally because many of them are themselves ex-offenders who left prison with nowhere to go.  They know what it is like and will therefore go that extra mile to make sure that no-one faces the prospect of sleeping on the streets.

An open door to a future

About half a dozen people are gathered on the pavement next to the HMP sign.  Some are smoking, others chatting animatedly on phones, one young woman stands silently reading a book.  It could be a long wait for the men they are meeting.

After about two hours, they emerge. There are moving scenes - some men start to choke up when they see their families.

It is those with no-one to meet them we are there for.  Dwayne and Allan – our two-man team who support homeless prison leavers in north London – are very, very busy people.  Today they are waiting to meet two men from this cohort who have nowhere to go.

Both have served short sentences, have no support and limited available options.  As single homeless men they are not entitled to state housing but will be reliant on the private rented sector.  Dwayne explains that as most of his clients are on benefits landlords do not generally welcome them. When they do, the best they can usually hope for is a room in a house share - or self-contained bedsit if they are very lucky.

Through the gate communication can be patchy. There is a problem as the prison reception have not told us that one of the men due to be met by us has already walked out.  Far from being secretly pleased at having a lighter workload for the day, Dwayne and Allan are gutted.  The client concerned has a drug problem and needs support to keep him on the straight and narrow.

Rising to a difficult challenge embodies the spirit of this ‘all hands to the pump’ team who help their clients encounter doors that open to a future instead of clank shut with the turn of a cell key.  They have a busy caseload of clients all waiting to be housed and spend the journey to the office on the phone to landlords sourcing available rooms and sorting out various problems.

In between phone calls, we chat about what would make life easier for them to help their clients.  Accommodation is the biggest and most obvious one. Housing cuts and an inflated rental market mean prison leavers are at the back of the queue so managing expectations becomes crucial.  Explaining to a man in his 40s who might have once lived in a family home that he’ll now be sharing a kitchen with strangers means Dwayne and Allan need to be upfront but still keep clients motivated to stay engaged.  Dampen someone’s hopes too much and they’ll quickly become disillusioned.

We always work best with our clients if we can meet them face to face prior to their release.  This means that Dwayne and his colleagues can get to know their clients, explain the service and generally suss people out.  As long reformed ex-offenders themselves, they know exactly what signals to pick up on which might make someone vulnerable to re-offending and put plans in place to mitigate this.  In the case of today, it would have been the first time they had met the clients.

Back at the office Dwayne immediately gets a list of privately rented rooms available through the landlords with whom we work.  Like a lettings agent on a sales deadline, he gets on the phone arranging viewings for clients desperately waiting for accommodation.  Results soon start to emerge as appointments for clients to view properties are made for later in the day.

It brightens further when Allan manages to establish contact with the mother of the client who was missed earlier and a place in a B&B is secured for him through us.  This will give us the opportunity to make contact, engage him and prevent a relapse.

The team battle against what seem like impossible odds over which they have limited control.  Aside from difficulties around lack of housing, they are working with some of the most complex, chaotic individuals in society.  But Dwayne and his colleagues don’t just give their clients a second chance.  Sometimes it needs a third and fourth before someone finally changes their mindset.  Such patient, persistent support is crucial and central to the work.

And this is where much of the strength lies. Dwayne, Allan and colleagues have the passion and drive to not give up on people.  No-one is beyond help.  Our volunteer Andy spoke – briefly but eloquently – at the opening of our Hackney office; “I’ve learned to open the door rather than kick it in.” Having someone help open it for you rather than slam it in your face prevents people returning behind bars.  However, as the housing situation worsens and caseloads increase, these doors will become heavier for our teams to hold open.

Stuart's life takes on a new course

You’ll sense a theme emerging with many of our posts here – JOBS FOR EX-OFFENDERS HELP PREVENT THEM GOING BACK BEHIND BARS! However, a quote from the late, great Joe Strummer - “career opportunities, the ones that never knock” - is especially true for our clients.

We work in Leeds under West Yorkshire Probation Step Change programme which helps priority and prolific young offenders get jobs.   This is a tall order in the current climate... but the team have made excellent headway against the odds.

Jobs for our clients can come from the most unlikely places.  One woman we worked with in prison many years ago has since gone on to set up an award-winning pig farm.  25-year-old Stuart (not his real name) came into contact with our Leeds team after a history of frequent offending – fairly standard stuff for young blades off the rails – drugs, taking without owners consent, burglary etc, etc.

As is often the case in such situations, Stuart needed a firm plan to work towards.  Our caseworker Natalie sat down with him to find out what he really wanted to do.  Stuart had initially said he wanted to get into construction but had decided it wasn’t for him after embarking on basic skills training.  He was due to be released in February and we needed to get him hooked up with something to keep him occupied.

Stuart had been recently approached by a jockey training school and was curious to find out more.  Following an application, he was offered a place on a 12-week residential course to train for an entry stage qualification in racehorse care.

Step Change were able to provide funding for the course fees and the essential but costly equipment he needed: skull cap, jodhpurs, boots, wellies, etc, etc.  He was all set to start his course but a

problem struck when he was informed that he was no longer eligible for JSA, would not get a training allowance and would therefore be for 12 weeks with no money.

Living off thin air might have deterred many people but not so for Stuart who remained fully motivated and stated that he would deal with it - nothing was going to stop him have the opportunity.  Not only would it help him get work, it would have the important bonus of getting him out of the local area which tended to drag him back into his petty criminality.

Natalie remained in regular contact with Stuart who absolutely loved his course.  He met new people, quickly became confident in handling and riding the horses.  In fact, he loved it so much that he didn’t go home at the weekends but remained on site, building his skills and learning his trade.

Stuart is now attending weekly race meetings and meeting potential owners and trainers who might offer him that all important next step on the ladder.

With his tutors delighted with his progress and the possibility of further training on the horizon, it looks like Stuart’s dark days are finally behind him.  His horizons are broadened, his mind is refocused and his network is new and positive.  There is some real sense of prospects and this gives him hope.

A stable job (‘scuse the terrible pun!) is the ultimate aspiration for most of our clients but the door is always slammed in their face.

Stuart’s got ahead. We’re sure that next time he’s ‘on the inside’ it’s on a racecourse – not in a cell!

Up the Junction

Pictured above: Samia, Andy and Carole from the Hackney Team

 

After decades of being marooned in Saaarf Laahdaan – on accessible via the weary chug, chug of the bus from Elephant or Oval tube -we’re happy to have a growing presence the other side of the river. Right near up’n’coming Dalston Junction - a hop, skip and jump from the Overground too!  

In a nutshell, the service was established following the transfer of funding from east London ex-offenders support organisation FTC to St Giles Trust back in March.   Staff who worked at FTC have transferred to St Giles Trust.  The team comprise a mix of paid staff and former client volunteers. 

The service has a strong focus on getting people held back by a criminal record ready for the job market though also assists with other areas such as housing. Help is available with CV writing, job searches, motivational skills, disclosure and other issues such as money management, sustaining tenancies and sexual health.

Each client undergoes a one-to-one assessment on referral to the service and benefits from a specially tailored action plan.  The Centre is open Monday to Friday, five days a week with Wednesday afternoons ring-fenced for female clients only.

We all make mistakes and bad judgements.  Sometimes these result in a criminal record which in turn can prevent some of the most capable, employable people from moving their lives forward.  As the following story demonstrates.

On the day we visited we met 39-year old S, who first came into contact with the service after a fruitless job search.  Not long ago, the mother of five had a bright future ahead of her qualifying to become an Occupational Therapist at university and working part-time.  Her world fell apart when a spell of working whilst claiming benefits from several years ago unexpectedly caught up with her. Convicted of fraud, she was forced to leave her job and her course. 

This had emotional as well as practical consequences for S.  She says: “Since being forced to leave university in January 2012 I’ve searched for countless jobs but with no success. I’ve had so many doors closed in my face.  I’ve got five children to support and I struggled to keep up a positive persona at home and be a role model.   Everything before was about work, work, work.  It was actually the period of work I did whilst on benefits which spurred me to get a job, go to Uni and leave benefits.”   

Through Working Chance, S learned about the Advice and Guidance qualification on offer at Hackney and signed up.  

She is incredibly motivated - investing a lot of time and effort into her skills development, gaining PTTLs, two other NVQs and qualifying as an assessor. She says, “I made a terrible mistake and I’d never do it again.  I just want to move on.  I want to advocate for people with criminal convictions and make sure people get the right advice.”  

She is hoping to once again go to university in September to qualify as a teacher.  In the meantime, she is volunteering as a Peer Advisor at Hackney whilst looking for work.  We wish her all the best!

The office where they are based had to undergo a bit of a Grand Designs-style makeover before it could be fit for purpose.  Helping out with this and in the day-to-day running is 35-year old Andy, who describes himself as ‘an unofficial volunteer’.  Despite not having any criminal convictions (“though I’m no stranger to the inside of a cell”, he says) the small matter of having his life turned upside down through a period of street homelessness means he is using the team’s support.   

This time last year, Andy was living in a bus shelter after the breakdown of his relationship.   He is now resident in a nearby hostel and uses the centre’s computer equipment for help seeking work and re-establishing the relationship with his 11-year old daughter with whom he has recently made email contact. 

A chef by trade, Andy recently did a week of paid work at the Chelsea Flower Show and is now looking for the next suitable opportunity, having registered with a catering a catering agency. In the meantime, he is literally Handy Andy of St Giles Hackney.  “If something needs moving, I’ll do it. If someone is sat at a desk and doesn’t know how to get on to a computer, I’ll show them.  Basically, if it involves blood, sweat and tears, I’ll do it!”

Andy’s next step alongside looking for work is to further progress contact with his daughter.  Asked what support he’s had from Hackney, the languid Londoner – who is clearly regarded with great affection by the team – says: “You need someone to believe in you, you need someone to give you guidance.”  

Contact St Giles Trust Hackney – tel: 020 7923 7062, The Elise Centre, 24-30 Dalston Lane, London E8 3AZ

How a good turn led to prison... and a new start

SGTTammygun spent the day following Danny and his St Giles Trust caseworker Ryan on Danny's first day out of prison. Find out how Danny's good deed led to spell behind bars and what happened on his release.

Since the age of 12 Danny has been homeless and addicted.  Fast forward 20 years, he may now finally have the help he needs from St Giles Trust and drugs organisation Cranstoun. 

It could seem very bad karma - trying to placate a family row ultimately leads to a six week prison sentence.  However, this is precisely what happened to 32-year old Danny when he tried to take a bag of cutlery left outside a charity shop back to his Mum’s flat.  A fight between her and Danny’s younger sister led to all their crockery being destroyed.  However, amongst Danny’s well intended haul was a knife which was found in a stop and search. 

“I had spoons in my pocket as well!” he cheerfully quips.  “Anyone could see I wasn’t out to go harming anyone!”  A minor breach of his subsequent community sentence saw him serve a short sentence in a London prison.

It was in here that he came into contact with St Giles Trust.  His chaotic family background meant he would be homeless on release.  Our Housing Casework team in the prison immediately got on the case, assessing Danny’s needs and taking steps to refer him to a supported hostel for his release.

“I have to say St Giles Trust have been fantastic,” he says.  “I’ve tried dealing with the local council to get housing myself but I’ve never been successful as I haven’t known all the different documents I’ve needed. As a single man with no kids, I’m deemed low priority.” 

In fact, Danny’s support needs place him anything but low priority. Danny has a rare degenerative disorder and is registered blind, meaning his vision is very impaired at night.  By the age of 40, he could be fully blind.  Danny also has a seven year heroin habit which he has made real efforts to tackle.  Put on a methadone script in prison, he has already significantly reduced his dosage by his own will.

On the day of release, Ryan from St Giles Trust is there to meet Danny to ensure he gets the vital support he needs.  Based on recent events, you would think Danny would be cautious about doing any more good turns for people.  However, he is clearly born with a generous spirit as at the newsagent he courteously offers to buy us refreshments out of his £46 discharge grant which has to tide him over until his benefits come through. The travelcard he needs to buy for the day’s appointments immediately eats £10 of this.

Ryan has arranged for Danny to be assessed at the hostel on the morning of his release so the initial appointment is here – the first of many that need to happen today.   If the hostel does not accept him, it will mean a lengthy spell at the Homeless Person’s Unit to get emergency accommodation for Danny – not ideal given his support needs.

Chipper and optimistic despite his challenging circumstances, Danny explains on the bus that he may undergo a risky but groundbreaking eye operation which would save his sight.  Wincing into the sun, he explains it is when the light changes that his sight deteriorates to the point of near total blindness.  He has learned over the years to rely on his other senses to compensate.

We arrive at the hostel run by drugs support organisation Cranstoun.  Pleasant, friendly and comfortable with welcoming staff, it is a far cry from the B&Bs, pavements and sofas that have been Danny’s previous abodes.

During the assessment with the hostel’s Support Worker, we learn more of Danny’s background and how he fell into drugs.  Brought up in south west London, his parents split at the age of 12.  Unable to stay with his alcoholic mother, he was placed with his father with whom the relationship subsequently broke down.  Kicked out by his Dad, he drifted into a notorious traveller community for whom he was forced to work for often 14 hours a day laying block paving, receiving a severe beating each time he tried to leave.  A further downward spiral into heroin use meant his ‘employers’ often paid him in drugs, further chaining him into this lifestyle.

The assessment reveals more areas in which Danny needs support.  Currently, his benefits are paid into his mother’s bank account and other family members helped themselves in the past.  Having his own bank account is crucial.

The hostel are keen to cater for Danny’s partial blindness so a walk around the building ensues.  If he is accepted, Danny would have his own single room and shared kitchen and bathroom facilities.  He would need to commit to becoming drug free through further reducing his methadone use and engaging with substance misuse support services.  Danny is adamant that he wants to close the drug chapter of his life and is motivated towards getting off methadone and ultimately getting back into construction work. 

The right environment is key.  “We have a strict policy here,” explains the Support Worker.  “If any drugs or paraphernalia are found you could be evicted.” 

“So no ganga plants in my room then?” jokes Danny. The Support Worker gives him a friendly wink and says she needs to go and speak to the Team Leader to find out whether they can offer him a place tonight.

Its good news all round when she returns ten minutes later to say that he can move in that evening.  Danny is clearly over the moon and both him and Ryan very relieved.  Although he cannot remain in the hostel indefinitely, it gives him a stable, supportive environment from where he can start to address his needs and move towards independence.

Leaving the hostel, Ryan and Danny hurry towards the Adult Social Services Department to collect evidence of Danny’s disability.  After that, they will need to re-establish his benefit claim at Job Centre Plus and visit his mother’s the pick up his birth certificate.  Ryan will stick with Danny and support him throughout the day’s events, escorting him back to the hostel that evening where he will settle in, receive an induction and get a good night’s sleep.

Asked what would have happened if St Giles Trust hadn’t been there, Danny says: “I wouldn’t have known where to start.  I would have probably gone to the Council first, then missed my hostel appointment and then had nowhere to stay.  Ryan knows what things need to happen and when – and what to say to people.  I wouldn’t have been able to do all this by myself.”

Addiction, chaotic family background and lack of a stable home are what have driven Danny’s offending.  With steps in place to tackle all of these issues, he now has a real chance of resettling despite whatever challenges his blindness may bring in the future. 

Ryan will continue to work with Danny for a further month, taking forward his case for permanent accommodation with the local council.  The hostel will help Danny tackle his addiction problems.  The rest is up to him yet he seems 100% motivated to make the most of the support and services. 

Ultimately, Danny’s sentence might not have been bad karma.  It led to St Giles Trust who then introduced him to Cranstoun.  Together with other support services, it will give him the first stable, positive base he has had since the age of 12.