How a housing project aims to cut reoffending

When Jane’s* stepson was due for release from prison, after serving four years for the sexual offence of grooming with intent, she didn’t know how or where to find him the support he would need on the outside. 

‘He served the whole of his sentence and the moment he walked out of the [prison] door, he was on his own,’ she recalls, explaining that he didn’t receive probation service support because he had served his full sentence. ’My husband and myself are both successful business people and had absolutely no experience of dealing with homelessness, benefits and, I suppose, any of the stigmas that will have been attached to my stepson.’

Unsure of where to turn, she telephoned a number she had spotted during one of her regular visits to Steve* at HMP Oakwood, a 1,605-capacity men’s prison in Featherstone, near Wolverhampton.

“We had absolutely no experience of dealing with homelessness, benefits and, I suppose, any of the stigmas that will have been attached to my stepson.”

The call was answered by Bromford, the housing and support service provider, and its then support worker Kamla Robertson helped Steve with issues such as benefits and accommodation, and went with him to important appointments. Ms Robertson, who has since left Bromford, also provided ‘incredible support’ to Jane and her husband, who haven’t told anybody about Steve’s situation. ‘It’s nice to have somebody who has a real understanding of what we’ve been through,’ Jane adds.

Seeking support

Released just over a year ago, Steve, now 33, has been working in customer services since April last year and rents a room in a private house share.

Jane learned of Bromford’s free service during one of her waits in the Family Pathway Centre next to the prison. Run by The Help & Advice Line for Offender’s Wives, Partners and Families, a charity known as HALOW (Birmingham) for short, this is where between 3,500 and 4,000 people sign in every month to visit imprisoned friends and family. With its bright blue plastic chairs, red pillars (albeit emblazoned with mottos of the security services company G4S, which manages the prison), cafe counter and children’s corner stocked with an array of toys and books, the centre provides a warm and colourful welcome on the grey day Inside Housing visits.

It is here that Bromford runs a drop-in advice session every Wednesday for the local community. Due to its location, it is prisoners’ families who seek help - on issues including debt, benefits, managing tenancies and welfare reforms like the bedroom tax.

‘I think it was a slow burner when we first started at the prison because the visitors were scared to approach,’ says Jean Reid, service manager for Bromford in Staffordshire. ‘It is because they think we are like an agency, like social services, and might work against them rather than work with them. When they realise we are there to help them with the support they need, they are quite open to it.’ 

The scheme, which the 28,000-home landlord is able to run without incurring extra costs - because support workers visit the prison as part of their normal working hours and there are no venue hire costs - launched nearly two years ago as a six-month pilot. It was the brainchild of Ms Robertson and proved so popular that the landlord soon expanded its remit to work with prisoners themselves in the three months leading up to their release.

“It is difficult to say whether those who benefited have gone on to reoffend, as the prison does not track prisoners following their release.”

All wings at HMP Oakwood have touchscreen technology, allowing prisoners to send electronic messages saying they would like a visit from Bromford. 

G4S, which has managed the prison since it opened in 2012, did not respond to repeated requests over a period of months from Inside Housing to speak to prisoners about how they have benefited from the project. G4S also ignored repeated attempts to get an on-the-record comment from prison staff.

However, Sandy Grewal, a floating support worker at Bromford, says prisoners mainly seek advice about tenancy issues, including debt, benefits and finding housing in a new area so they can make a fresh start. Those who have served long sentences may have lost their accommodation; some prisoners arrive at HMP Oakwood with no fixed abode. Family members may be unwilling or unable to help. 

A step forward

Accommodation is one of seven fundamental issues that have a possible impact on whether someone reoffends, returns to custody or fails to reintegrate into society, says Daniel Daly, manager of the Family Pathway Centre.

The others are education, training and employment; health (both physical and mental); drugs and alcohol; finance, benefits and debt; attitudes, thinking and behaviour, including motivation; and children and families. ‘If you can solve at least two out of these seven, there is a stronger chance of reducing reoffending,’ says Mr Daly. ‘In theory, we’d like to get all seven but obviously it’s difficult, particularly with the economy at the moment.’

Bromford provides ‘through the gate’ help by supporting prisoners for up to two years following their release. The need for its service is clear: Ministry of Justice statistics released in January found 45% of adult offenders reoffend within 12 months of their release from custody. 

In the 10 months from March 2014, Bromford supported six prisoners and 12 family members. It is difficult to say whether those who benefited have gone on to reoffend, as the prison does not track prisoners following their release. However, the association deems its project so successful that it hopes to replicate the service at Drake Hall, a 315-capacity women’s prison in Eccleshall, Staffordshire.

Brighter futures

Bromford is not the only housing provider supporting prisoners (see box: Cross Keys Homes). Melanie Rees, the Chartered Institute of Housing’s (CIH) head of policy, has heard of a few examples of associations engaging with prisoners and ex-offenders, but says this type of work is not widespread. ‘But I think it’s a good example of the kind of work housing associations can do, which is outside of what could be seen as the natural day-to-day activity of a landlord,’ she adds.

The CIH has worked with the awarding organisation NOCN – which used to be known as the National Open College Network – to create a qualification aimed at helping ex-offenders and other new tenants, including people leaving supported living or the armed forces, learn more about managing and keeping a home. Since its launch in April 2013, 195 people have registered for the NOCN Level 1 Award in pre tenancy skills.

Ms Rees says Bromford’s scheme sounds ‘really positive’ and that it may make sense for providers in areas with significant prisons populations to launch similar services.

Based on her family’s experience, Jane thinks other providers should follow Bromford’s lead. ‘The prison population is on the increase. Therefore, there are going to be more people in the same situation as my stepson, coming out needing support and really not knowing where to go and almost just needing a bit of a mentoring service to make sure he maximises the opportunities that there are,’ she says. ‘There aren’t many opportunities. Therefore, you have to know where to look for them and you have to know what to do, what to say – and to persevere.’ 

*Some names have been changed