St Mungo's Offender Services Team currently work in seven prisons, in London and the eastern regions, offering advice and practical support to prisoners who may experience housing difficulties when they are released. The team works closely with community resettlement services and other agencies to secure the best possible outcome for prisoners and ex-offender.
St Mungo's has been working with ex-offenders for many years and in prisons since 2000, to prevent rough sleeping amongst former inmates. We currently provide 17 different services and work in five prisons in London and two in the eastern regions. Our staff work in the following prisons: HMP Feltham (Young Offenders Institute), HMP Pentonville, HMP Holloway, HMP Wormwood Scrubs, HMP Latchmere House, HMP Bullwood Hall, Essex and HMP Bedford.
If an offender has a tenancy, we work to secure it for their release. If an offender has nowhere to live, we try to find them somewhere to stay, or give them appropriate advice and contacts so they can help themselves.
Some of the services offered include:
We also work closely with a range of services inside and outside prisons to help prevent people re-offending. Our job coaches help ex-offenders move towards employability, through practical and emotional support in areas like: exploring motivation and career plans; interpersonal skills; CV preparation and job applications; interview techniques; training; claiming welfare benefits; financial assistance with fares, work clothes and subsistence when first starting work; liaison with employers; and advocacy.
If they don't find paid work straight away, we help ex-offenders find voluntary or short-term work placements, so they can build references and work experience. We offer financial help for vocational training and job search facilities, and can refer clients to other agencies as necessary.
The innovative approach of the Offender Management team ensures that they have a high success rate and a good reputation in the prisons that they serve, and amongst partner agencies.
A Probation Officer had this to say about Brent Ex-Offender Floating Support Service:
"I have found your services professional, easily accessible and 'client friendly'. All of you have a wealth of knowledge and experience when it comes to other service providers. You have made my work with the offenders much easier as you are providing a support service which we are not always able to do. I have found discussing cases with St Mungo's staff extremely helpful as you always come up with suggestions that I have not even thought about and things just seem to be more clear and less daunting having the input. I can honestly say that I don't know what I would have done, had it not been for the support of St Mungo's."