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Re-Unite – the project. Liz Clarson Chief Executive Housing for Women. A fresh start for mothers and children. The need. 17,700 children separated from their mothers by imprisonment each year 66% of women in prison have dependent children
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Re-Unite – the project Liz Clarson Chief Executive Housing for Women
The need • 17,700 children separated from their mothers by imprisonment each year • 66% of women in prison have dependent children • 45% had children living with them at time of imprisonment • Only 5% of those children remain in the family house during mother’s imprisonment • 38% of women prisoners expect to be homeless on release
Catch-22 ‘‘If you don’t have a home, how do you get your children back? I wouldn’t have got residency for the children from the court if I didn’t have Re-Unite’’ - Kathleen
Re-Unite project • Commonweal provides suitable accommodation • Housing for Women provides intensive individual support to the women on release • Two strands: the Mother’s programme and the Mother’s & Children’s programme • 11 properties in South-East London.
Criteria • Serving or remand women prisoners – homeless on release • Dependent children and realistic chance of being re-united • Women who really want to change their lives • Local connection with Greenwich, Lewisham or Southwark or • Have experienced domestic violence and want to re-locate to South-East London
The programme • Contact established with the women in prison • Assessment undertaken • Mother met on release and helped to settle into her temporary accommodation • Children return home to their mother • Support worker agrees individual support plan with mother
Preparation for independence Addressing the issues • Substance misuse • Offending behaviour • Tenancy sustainment • Money management • Education, training and employment • Relationships • Independence and self-esteem • Physical and mental health • Parenting skills • Healthy family life
The next steps Having completed the programme, which lasts up to two years, the women are helped to find permanent accommodation for their families.
The benefits • Gives women and their children a fresh start • Breaks the cycle of re-offending • Helps the children who are often the forgotten victims • Restores a woman’s self confidence and self worth • Powerful business case: The costs of Re-Unite are £14,825 per client pa compared to a place in a local prison at £41,084 pa