Additional Information for Pilgrim Trust

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Additional information for Pilgrim Trust

Project 2011-13 North Staffs Community Chaplaincy Service (NSCC)

Ref: B / 3182/ 4099 Project: Women's

Board of Trustees

The NSCC Team

*6 month contract funded through the Future Jobs Fund

Summary information on the clients seen by the service over the past year

The NSCC has continued to provide accommodation and support to ex-offenders of all faiths and none. Its aim is to help ex-offenders break the cycle of re-offending and successfully re-settle and integrate back into community life. This has been achieved through developing innovative partnerships with specialist housing providers and local initiatives to train and employ ex-offenders in trades such as those employed by the construction industry. It therefore provides a unique combination of accommodation, mentoring support, general advice, volunteering opportunities, training and employment support, debt advice and budgeting support.

Client Outcomes

We are currently in the process of introducing new rigorous systems that will allow us to collect and collate client journeys, which we have described in our bid. These new systems will come into force at the beginning of March 2011, once all staff have received the necessary training. We meet regularly with every client to agree the support plan that is put into place in order to address identified needs and the progress of each support plan is monitored for and with every client. We recognise that our data collection needs to become more in depth to show the wider spectrum of client outcomes that we have identified as necessary. On this basis, we have collected data, based upon the 7 Pathways to Resettlement, with two additional pathways specifically for women for the last year. Our new framework for monitoring is based upon the Pathways to Resettlement and when complemented with the Outcomes Star, will prove a rigorous framework to capture all needs, activities to address these needs and clients’ journeys.

Summary information on the clients housed by the service over the past year

Clients:

• From September 2009 to end September 2010 the NSCC has supported 107 clients
• Of those clients, 84 were men and 23 were women
• We currently support up to 60 ex-offenders returning to North Staffs.
• Currently 25% of the clients are Priority and Prolific Offenders
• All our clients are vulnerable adults with complex needs
• We house clients that other service providers will not normally house
• We currently have 30 properties providing 60 units of accommodation
• The average length of tenancy and support is 10 months
• We receives 15-25 referrals each week that we cannot accommodate
• Our re-offending rate is just 12% with an absconding rate of 16%
• On average, 7 new clients per quarter have engaged in volunteering activities for the agency.

Demographics:

Ethnicity: 95% (White/British), 3% (Dual Nationality), 2% (Asian/Asian British)

Aged 25-54 = 77%

Disabled = 2%

Client outcomes:

Based upon the 9 Resettlement Pathways, we have collated the following data:

Clients with the need for support on one pathway = 3%

Clients with the need for support on two to four pathways = 82%

Clients with the need for support on five or more pathways = 15%

Accommodation:

Clients with this need = 100%

Clients sustaining tenancies for at least 3 mths = 100%

Skills/Employment/Education/Training

Clients with this need = 88%

No. gaining employment/new skills for work = 45%

Health:

Clients with this need = 49%

Clients accepting support = 75%

No. registered with Dr./Dentist = 100%

Drugs and Alcohol

Clients with this need = 92%

Clients making positive progress in terms of management/reduction = 84%

Finance:

Clients with this need = 13%

Clients making positive progress with debt management = 60%

Children and Families:

Clients with this need = 52%

Clients making positive progress = 71%

Clients with increased parenting skills = 25%

Clients with improved relationships = 72%

Attitudes/Thinking/Behaviour:

Clients with this need = 97%

Clients making positive progress = 74%

Clients with increased self-esteem = 44%

Women who have been victims of abuse/rape/domesticviolence:

Clients with this need = 16%

Clients making positive progress = 64%

Referral to external support = 74%

Women who have been engaged in the sex industry:

Clients with this need = 9%

Clients making positive progress = 64%

Referral to external support = 75%

Details of the assessment done to identify the need for this service

Our analysis is based upon our experiences in service provision. We have experienced an increase in referrals this year for women (24 Women in the past year and none the previous year). We strongly suspect there are most likely strategic policy reasons for this. For example, we are very aware of the need for improved specific services for women offenders that were stated in the Corston Report of 2007. We are also informed by the Fawcett Society, in the same year that found a huge increase of women being sent to prison. We have further noted the announcements made by the justice minister, Maria Eagle at the end of 2009, suggesting that there was to be a real drive to increase the sentencing in the community of women, as an alternative to prison. Soon after this the Ministry of Justice introduced a funding stream for ‘one stop shop’ type services specifically for women ex-offenders living in the community. One of the thirty funded projects was Chepstow House in Stoke-on-Trent. This is a partnership between Gingerbread and Brighter Futures, two very successful voluntary agencies in the area. We have received an increase in referral for women since this time and now see Chepstow House as a key partner in supporting our women clients (see reference). Another factor that has contributed to increased referrals for both men and women is the very much improved working relationship with the police and probation (see references). This relationship with the police resulted in our being awarded the Staffordshire Criminal Justice Award 2010 for outstanding achievement in working with ex-offenders.

Trend data on the number of female offenders returning to Staffordshire

Data for women offenders in Stoke-on-Trent suggested a predicted increase in offending this year (Stoke Reducing Re-offending Delivery Plan 2008-11). Home Office figures show in fact a drop in offending in Stoke for 2009-10, which could be a reflection to improved co-ordination of activity to reduce offending across the range of providers. That said, Stoke-on-Trent continues to be amongst the top 50 authorities in the country with the highest rates of adult offending and is a hot spot for difficulties around securing accommodation and employment for ex-offenders (Stoke Reducing Re-offending Delivery Plan 2008-11). The increase in community sentencing additionally further complicates matters in understanding a real figure for female offenders ‘returning’ to this area. In this sense it has been difficult to show a specific trend, other than the experience at the level of delivery of increased referrals as elaborated on above.

How do we intend to integrate the nine pathways to resettlement in our support for the women

Our work is very much informed by the 9 resettlement pathways and will inform all future monitoring. We have positioned ourselves as a agency who works closely with our partners in addressing these pathways. Our support staff have recently been trained to additionally use the outcomes star model that will allow us to work more efficiently with clients to assess with them their journey towards independence on these pathways. Our new framework for monitoring is closely informed by the 9 pathways and will show clearly all defined needs, activities to address these and client outcomes. The projects aims directly address the 9 pathways through the provision of supported accommodation, mentoring, volunteering opportunities and signposting to specialist agencies. We work closely with both clients and partner agencies, with agreed protocols where appropriate to ensure positive outcomes for us all.

How a woman will engage with the NSCC services

Our female clients are either directed to our service from Prison, Probation, Police PPO Team, Brighter Futures/Chepstow House, Drug Rehabilitation Centers, Stoke City Council, and a few come in after release as a self referral.

How our services tie in with other services

We have developed very good working relationships with all of our partners as mentioned earlier. This we feel is contributing directly to the local need for more efficient and complementary services for ex-offenders that will reduce the numbers of re-offenders in the area.

The selection criteria for women

The Selection criteria is as per male clients; all potential clients must have been in prison within two years and would be classed as being released from prison as homeless, or present from other agencies as homeless. We will not accept clients with sexual offences, Fire starters, Prolific Drug Dealers. Other than that they must pass our interview/referral process which includes a full risk and need assessment.

How long we intend to provide support

Support is initially for 12 months but can run as long as the client needs our help.

8 December 2010

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