Supported Housing and Resettlement Service for Kent, Surrey and Sussex

CRI Supported Housing and Resettlement Service provides short to medium term accommodation and support for ex-offenders being released from prison. The aim of the service is to accommodate, support, safely manage and reintegrate individuals who have demonstrated the motivation to change their offending behaviour. Resettlement of service users into the community, together with the management of any risk, is the main focus of the service. In addition we facilitate prisoners on ROTL (Release On Temporary Licence), usually for an average period of 4 nights.

We work in close partnership with Kent Surrey and Sussex Community Rehabilitation Company and the National Probation Service

Projects are supported by staff from 9-5 Monday – Saturday and provide additional late evening coverage. Our staff will also work flexibly to meet the needs of service users.

Through the support of staff, and by linking service users in with appropriate community resources, the service aims to enable service users to:

• Sustain a tenancy
• Improve life skills, e.g. communication, budgeting, cooking
• Reduce their risk of offending
• Address individual issues, e.g. substance misuse, mental health
• Find work/training/constructive activity
• Increase levels of independence
• Move-on to long-term accommodation

The average length of stay for service users is between 6 and 18 months.

As part of a planned move-on we offer a follow on Outreach Support Service for approximately 1 – 6 months, occasionally more if needed. This service enables us to support service users through the difficult transition from supported to independent accommodation.

The service also provide a separate Outreach Support Service to ex-offenders released from prison who are housed in other appropriate accommodation, such as private tenancies.

These services aim to prevent service users entering into a cycle of repeat or prolonged offending and homelessness due to debt, anti social behaviour or disconnection from appropriated support services.

Probation currently have 100% referral rights to our service. Potential service users wanting to apply need to contact their Offender Manager and ask them to make a referral.

In order to be referred to CRI, an individual must meet the following criteria:

Age: Over 18 years

Sex: Male (Females accepted for Outreach Support Service)

Situation: Under supervision of the Probation Service

Attributes:

• Capable of independent living
• Willing to live with others
• Willing to accept support
• Demonstrating motivation to change

Priority is given to local referrals. Offender Managers wanting to make a referral for someone, whose case is not managed by Surrey and Sussex Probation Trust, must first contact a Senior Probation Officer. A referral can only be made if a transfer of the case is agreed in principle.

Due to the excessive pressure on housing and services, it is not likely that anyone without connections to the area, or other good reason for moving here, will have a transfer agreed.

The communication needs of service users are catered for e.g. translators can be provided for non-English speakers. In addition, full consideration is given to the physical requirements of service users.