High Risk Accommodation Support

Research shows that helping an offender to find and maintain a job and their own accommodation are key factors that help reduce the risk of future re-offending.

The Probation Service has a partnership with the SHARP Housing Support Scheme which provides workers who visit offenders in their own homes.

This enables the workers to help in a direct way, and also be alert to situations that have the potential to escalate and pose a potential risk to the public.

Individuals may need housing support because they have never lived independently and require help understanding how to successfully manage a home and plan a household budget.

There will be men and women who have been living in supported accommodation, prison or hospital for a long time and need help to re-adjust to living in the community on their own.

There are also people who suffer with low self-confidence, addictions, social discrimination or mental and/or physical health problems who need a helping hand.

The Housing Support Service benefits from a holistic approach to housing problems. The link between housing support and the furniture supply scheme means that service users who are setting up their new home can receive basic furniture free of charge.