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Finance, Benefit, and Debt Support for Reducing Reoffending

This initiative provides face-to-face financial, benefit, and debt advice to offenders and ex-offenders, aiming to reduce reoffending rates by addressing underlying financial issues. Trusted sources like Citizens Advice are crucial for providing guidance and support to this vulnerable population. Through this program, clients have reported significant improvements in their financial situation, mental well-being, and overall ability to cope with their circumstances. The goal is to help clients become debt-free and gain the necessary skills to avoid reoffending in the future.

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Finance, Benefit, and Debt Support for Reducing Reoffending

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  1. Reducing Reoffending- finance, benefit and debt advice and support“Having a job; having a place to live; having enough money to support oneself; and not using drugs are among the top five reasons listed in the survey for not going onto re-offend. All these factors directly involve money and money management.” (MOJ/CFEB/CAB 2010)Helen Scadding Citizens Advice

  2. What we do Face to face finance, benefit and debt advice to resolution/ through the gate/ money skills National coverage- 54 cabx across all CRCs Specialist provision Money Advice Service F2F Prison and Probation Project- West Midlands and East National data recording system

  3. Money Advice Service Face to Face Prison and Probation project • Government funded initiative to tackle Financial exclusion by increasing access to face to face debt advice • Set up in 2006 and is now managed by Money Advice Service • 14 participants involved: 11 Bureaux and 3 independent advice agencies, situated in the Midlands and East England • Clients are accessed in prisons, via probation and through referral from national and local agencies that support offenders, ex-offenders and their families. • Local partners and cross referrals- Prisoner’s, Family and Friends service (PFFS), NACRO, Unlock, Salvation Army, local police and hostels • Clients seen: 2012/13 – 4719 2013/14 Q1/Q2 2825

  4. Key issuesSame problems – less chance to resolve-Forms, phones, internet, ID Debt increases for offender and familyTrust is critical- Time is Money (CAB) were the most trusted source of financial advice for both people in prison (47%) and families (75%) but only 13% of those in prison had been able to access a CAB adviser.Practicalities

  5. Outcomes Bath study- £4,095 actual financial gain over 5 years and “significant rises in health and wellbeing”. West Bromwich- 70 clients from offender financial inclusion project were tracked through Delius. 63% of service users had no re-offending/breach action recorded over a two year period. Money Advice Service F2F PP Project- West Midlands and East- Optimisa 360 Research project- ”most clients highlight how the advice has helped them feel more confident, less worried, less depressed, and much more able to cope with their situation.” “Acting on advice improves the debt situation”. Vale of Glamorgan CAB and NOMs Cymru money skills training. “The provision of this training to prisoners within prisons can produce statistically significant increases in their financial capability”.

  6. Transforming Rehabilitation: a summary of evidence on reducing reoffending(MOJ 2013) Reaching intermediate outcomes- Addressing Accommodation Needs-“In order to sustain their accommodation, offenders may need advice in managing money and debt”. OASys does not include FBD- “OASys assesses offenders against the following eight key criminogenic needs: accommodation, education, training and employment, relationships, lifestyle and associates, drug misuse, alcohol misuse, and thinking and behaviour and attitudes”.

  7. Birmingham October 2013Client is 30 year old, single male. Client recently released from prison with severe mental health issues. Client was worried about multiple unsecured debts and was not sure of how to cope with these. Client stated he may commit crime again in order to repay debts. We assisted client in obtaining his credit report and applying for a Debt Relief Order, which was approved and client is now debt free. We also assisted in putting together a future realistic budget for client to stick to. Client stated that Debt Relief Order and becoming debt free has contributed to an improvement in his mental state and that being debt free will also stop him re offending in the future.

  8. TR- Opportunities Many lessons learnt from WP (PbR, blackbox, transparency, bid-candy) Three stages of intervention becomes possible Possibility of spreading good practice across all CRCs Through the gate joint work

  9. TR- challenges Volumes Communications with Prime Supply chain partnership and referrals Evaluation- fluid client base, attribution, funds Sanctions and mandation Protecting existing work

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