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Join us at the CESI Welfare to Work Conference on July 10th, 2012 to learn about the Day One support initiative for prison leavers. Discover what's working and how we can improve outcomes for offenders.
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Day One Support for Prison LeaversCESI Welfare to Work Conference: July 10th 2012
Introductions • David Perrins, Director of Business Development • Laura Jones, Business Development Manager • Katy John, Business Development Manager
Overview • Introduction to Avanta • Context – Reducing reoffending by supporting offenders into work • Day One Support - What’s working? • Moving forward – How can we improve outcomes for offenders?
Avanta Today • 30 years’ experience of delivering high-performing employment, enterprise and skills contracts • Evolved from a community organisation to a national leader (in the top 5 largest welfare-to-work providers) • Work Programme Prime in the North West, North East and South East • Track record of community knowledge and services (embedded in local communities) • Substantial supply chains comprising public, private and not-for-profit delivery partners • 40,000 offenders supported into employment and training over last 10 years • Over the next five years, we will support 177,000 offenders through Day One provision • Strong investment in the Justice sector – Framework provider for MoJ Payment by Results Pilots (Lots 1 and 2); providing prison industries as a subcontractor on PCP2
Context – Reducing reoffending by supporting offenders into work
Context: the challenge • Cost an average of £38,000 to keep someone in prison for one year • Rehabilitative regimes in prisons cost £300m a year • Re-offending rates rising – 2011 data shows 90% of those sentenced in England and Wales had offended before • Multiple offences – a third of those sentenced had committed/were linked to 15 or more crimes • Particular challenge around those on short-term sentences – this group has higher re-offending rates, as well as less statutory support/supervision • Offending behaviour linked wider deprivation – for example, 2005 Houchin Report found that a quarter of all Scottish prisoners come from just 53 out of 1,222 Scottish wards • Human cost – prisoners’ families and their communities • And the issues are increasing – Prison numbers have increased by over 25,000 over the past 15 years (from 60,000 to 80,000 – includes 2,000 increase during riots)
Offender Demographics – Multiple and complex issues (Ministry of Justice, 2010)
Welfare and Justice:an opportunity for change • Given the challenges set out, this represents a significant opportunity for joining up the Welfare and Justice agendas • Day One and other initiatives will give Work Programme providers access to this client group and the opportunity to break the cycle • Prison competitions – establishing relationships with prisoners prior to release • Probation Review – testing new models of working together to reduce reoffending • Community Budgets – a genuine join up of money and services
MoJ Direction of Travel: addressing the challenge • Measures to reduce re-offending, including PBR Pilots. PBR principles to be rolled out across the UK by 2015 • Fast-tracking offenders to the Work Programme – Day One • Probation Review – consultation recommends increased role of private and third sectors in driving results/innovation • Community payback – Meaningful placements informed by community needs/priorities • Reducing the prison population through measures such as increased tagging • OLASS – increased focus on preparing prisoners for work • Coordinated approach – through the gate, IOMs to coordinate statutory services, particularly for PPOs • Custody/industries – increased role of private/third sectors in creating ‘real work environments’ to increase the successful transition through the gate into employment
Current and proposed MOJ PBR Pilots • HMP Leeds - PBR Custodial Pilot • HMP Doncaster - PBR run by Serco • Manchester and London- PBR public sector ‘Justice Re-Investment pilots’ • HMP Peterborough - Social Impact Bond • Wales Probation and Staffs & West Midlands Probation - PBR Community Pilots being tendered • HMP High Down - PBR public sector • Wales/ West Mids – WP Top Up Pilots • Innovation Pilots – Locations TBC
The role of employment providers • MoJ and DWP joint analysis of the criminal records of benefit claimants: • 33% of JSA claimants have a criminal record; • 26% of all claimants (just under 5m) have been cautioned or convicted in the last decade; • 75% of people convicted in 2008 had claimed out of work benefits during the last two years; • 50% of those released in 2008 were still claiming benefit two years later. • MoJ research outlined the key factors identified as preventing people from re-offending: • Having a job (67%) • Secure housing (61%) • Having enough money (52%) • Not using drugs (47%) • Avoiding certain people (45%) • Family support (36%) • Fear of returning to prison (36%) • A clear opportunity and role for Employability providers in reducing re-offending
Day One Support: Initial Challenges • PRaP issues – manual process to identify clients referred pre and post release date • Implementing ‘warm’ referral process, enabling clients to be identified and referred prior to release • Clients not always being referred to WP prior to release. Additionally, JCP not consistently identifying and referring PG9 group when they sign on within 13 weeks • Speed of implementation has created operational issues/risks, such as MAPPA cases • EBAs not always informing providers when a client’s release date is delayed • Initial engagement made more challenging by: • Lack of contact details – E.g. in North East, 83% of clients have no phone number • Chaotic lifestyles including lack of stable housing/address • Some clients attending appointment in prison to ensure benefits paid and then not attending initial appointment
Day One Support: What’s working well • Developing links with Prison Employment and Benefit Advisors (EBAs) – including through sharing good news stories and marketing material • Alignment of Day One Support with NOMS ESF (e.g. in North East) – enabling more ‘contact points’ for initial engagement (e.g. working with IOM teams, EBAs) • Early identification of job goals- vacancies prepared prior to appointments • Early identification of disabilities/ additional needs via contact centre • Coordinated approach by Primes – e.g. Seetec, G4S, Avanta & JCP working with the learning, skills and employability practitioners at HMP Thorn Cross to develop referral models, and align existing action planning and training into Work Programme activities • Employing specialist job coaches with experience of supporting offenders • Integrating with joint working initiatives – e.g. Avanta are part of the Stockport Reducing Re-offending Group
Work Programme provider experiences of Day One • Have we captured all the challenges? • How else can we work together to create seamless delivery? • What ‘lessons learnt’ can we learn from providers and other countries to continuously improve outcomes? • How will wider changes in Justice sector effect Day One – prisons under competition, increased use of tagging and probation • Challenge of coordinating with existing statutory and non-statutory services • WP Provider Forums led by DWP address on-going Day One issues • Example – Joint meeting held in NW with EBAs, JCP, DWP, Probation and Providers • Opportunity – NOMS have a lead person responsible for alignment with the Work Programme
How can we improve outcomes for offenders? • Promoting enterprise – E.g. Our Inside Out programme at HMP Kirklevington achieved a 33% business start-up rate and 75% sustainability after 6 months • Alignment of existing services – NOMS ESF, JCP, Through the Gate mentoring provision • Desistence theory- promoting offender ownership of journey • Awareness raising amongst prison teams • Involving the third sector – Link up with existing third sector support for ex-offenders, e.g. West Yorkshire Community Chaplaincy Project at HMP Leeds (for PBR Pilot) • Involvement of families – ‘support the support system’ to create positive influences • Alignment with substance misuse services • Integrating support for ex-offenders into our local Employer Engagement Strategies and providing progression from prison industries
HMP Leeds: improvingoutcomes for offenders • E.g. Work Programme - total funding £60m p/a; • Youth Contract funding for young people • ESF Workless Families E.g. ESF Skills Support for Unemployed funding £15m E.g. Jigsaw & WYCCP E.g. NOMS – ESF Drugs Treatment Services funding 2012 - £916,000 E.g. £34m City Centre Growth Fund Bradford (2012) E.g. OLASS 4 held by The Manchester College – budget for Leeds prison is £1.7m E.g. Horton Housing (community specialist) Leeds Housing Concern E.g. NOMS ESF – West Yorks PT total value for Y&H (excluding SY) 2012 - £3.6m E.g. West Yorkshire Probation 2012/13 - £38.5m