Day One Support for Prison Leavers CESI Welfare

Day One Support for Prison Leavers CESI Welfare to Work Conference: July 10 th 2012

Introductions • David Perrins, Director of Business Development • Laura Jones, Business Development Manager • Katy John, Business Development Manager 1

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? 2

Introduction to Avanta

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 welfareto-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 Mo. J Payment by Results Pilots (Lots 1 and 2); providing prison industries as a subcontractor on PCP 2 4

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 £ 300 m a year • Re-offending rates rising – 2011 data shows 90% of those sentenced in England 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 reoffending 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) 6

Offender Demographics – Multiple and complex issues (Ministry of Justice, 2010) 7

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 8

Mo. J 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 9

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 10

The role of employment providers • Mo. J 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 5 m) 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. • Mo. J 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 11

Day One Support – What’s working?

Avanta Day One Claimant Journey 13

Day One Support: Initial Challenges • PRa. P 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 PG 9 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 14

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, G 4 S, 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 15

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 16

Moving forward – How can we improve outcomes for offenders?

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 18

HMP Leeds: improving outcomes for offenders E. g. Jigsaw & WYCCP • E. g. Work Programme total funding £ 60 m p/a; • Youth Contract funding for young people • ESF Workless Families E. g. ESF Skills Support for Unemployed funding £ 15 m E. g. NOMS – ESF Drugs Treatment Services funding 2012 - £ 916, 000 E. g. £ 34 m City Centre Growth Fund Bradford (2012) E. g. OLASS 4 held by The Manchester College – budget for Leeds prison is £ 1. 7 m E. g. Horton Housing (community specialist) Leeds Housing Concern 19 E. g. West Yorkshire Probation 2012/13 £ 38. 5 m E. g. NOMS ESF – West Yorks PT total value for Y&H (excluding SY) 2012 £ 3. 6 m

Learning from local Pilots

Questions?