Supporting People on Probation
The Purfleet Trust have worked closely with the Probation Service to provide tailored support and accommodation to people leaving the criminal justice system to build stable lives, secure futures and move away from reoffending.
Homelessness and offending can be closely connected. Without a stable place to live, it can be harder to maintain employment, manage finances, attend appointments, engage with health services, maintain relationships and comply with probation requirements. For someone leaving prison, these challenges can be even greater – they may be returning to the community without accommodation, employment, financial stability or a positive support network.
In 2023/24, 9,210 people were released from prison directly into homelessness or rough sleeping. When people leaving prison who were temporarily accommodated are also included, 38% of people leaving prison were either homeless or at risk of homelessness.
Our aim is not simply to provide accommodation, but to help people develop the confidence, skills and support networks they need to maintain a tenancy, make positive choices and take their next step towards a more independent future.
A Fresh Start and Brighter Future
The foundation of the support we provide is our Pathways Training Houses.
Residents at our Training Houses have a safe, stable place to live and receive dedicated one-to-one support from their Independent Living Coach. Together, we help each person identify their goals, build confidence and resilience, develop independence and take positive steps towards a more settled future.
Alongside providing suitable accommodation, we work closely with probation and other partner agencies to help people address the practical and personal issues that can contribute to homelessness and offending.
By combining safe accommodation at our Training Houses with personalised support, services and opportunities, we help people address the barriers they face and move towards greater independence and stability.
Our service is designed around a simple principle:
Stable accommodation
Meaningful support
Opportunity
A better chance of a different future
Life Skills for Real Life
We recognise that there is no single reason why someone becomes homeless or why someone reoffends.
Our service aims to reduce the risk of people becoming trapped in a cycle of homelessness, instability, reoffending and prison.
Therefore, we are determined to support the people we work with to develop the everyday skills needed to manage life beyond supported accommodation at the Pathway Training Houses. From budgeting and cooking to maintaining a tenancy, managing appointments, cooking and cleaning, we focus on practical skills that people can take with them when they move on.
For someone trying to move away from offending, these positive foundations can be incredibly important.
Not only this, but we also help people overcome barriers that can make it difficult to engage with services. Support is tailored to individual needs, and can include helping people access healthcare, mental health and substance misuse services, as well as taking the next step toward independence, with support in training and employability.
The goal of our work is simple: To help people leave homelessness behind, build the skills for independent living, access employment and create a future where they can live safely and independently in the community.