the specific support needs of female offenders and the role of family support in sustained recovery...
TRANSCRIPT
The specific support needs of female offenders and the role of family support
in sustained recovery
Lauren Benham
Contents
Phoenix Futures and our work in prisons
Through The Gate provision at HMP’S Holloway and Pentonville
The role of family support in sustained recovery
The support needs of female offenders and how we address them
Recovery Capital
Building Futures treatment model
Case Management Team
Assessments, 1:1 key-working, onward referrals
Interventions TeamPsychosocial group
delivery
Community Engagement Team
Family supportThrough The Gate
Young Persons TTG
Our work in prisons
Family Support• 1:1 key working• Mediation• Children and Family visits presence• Family interventions: Families in Recovery, Families Anonymous, All About Mum, Story Sacks
Involving families post-releasePrison services
Pre-release planning meetings3 months family support post-release; 1:1 key working, signposting and
referrals, practical support e.g. grant applications
Practical advice for families:1. Set clear boundaries2. Write down behaviours that cross the boundary3. Stick to ‘healthy consequences’ 4. Support group5. Acknowledge the cycle of change6. No enabling!!
Involving families post-release
Residential service
Visits – increased family contact throughout treatment, inc overnight stays and debriefing with family members
Care plan reviews
FLAMES programme – 3 hour monthly workshop to coincide with family visit – open support and advice + guest speaker to share their story + ‘hot topic’ e.g. TC concept, interventions
Community services
Triple P – positive parenting programme
MPACT course
1:1 support and counselling for family members
Older persons Befriending service
NORCAS Young People’s Affected Others Service
Through The Gate (TTG) serviceYoung Persons TTG service Adult TTG service
•18-24 year olds•Pre-release support•3 way pre-release meeting•Meet at the Gate service•3 months post-release support
100% offered, 70% uptake
Focus on 7 pathways of reducing reoffending
46 accessed service since March 2015
•Over 24’s•3 way pre-release meeting•Meet at the Gate service•2 weeks support post-release•Expansion January 2016 to include 3 months post-release support•Pan-London and Essex
Self-referral 68 accessed since April 2015Coordinate average 25 TTG’s per month
Grace House
First female-only residential, opened to address housing gap for women leaving Holloway with complex needs
12-24 week programme, 10 bed spaces
4 phases to treatment
1 assignment per month: courage, faith, strength, acceptance, hope, freedom.
Contact information: Charlotte Sharpe, Service [email protected]
Support needs of female offenders
Domestic violence
Sexual violence
Forced marriage
Sex-working
Loss of children into social care
Trafficking
Eating disorders
Low self-esteem/self-worth
Self-harm
How Phoenix Futures (and partners) address these needs in the prison
• Awareness groups on self-harm, mental health topics, contraception, STI’s, affirmations, vignettes
• MBAT• The SHINE Project• Families in Recovery, AAM group, FA• Referrals into other support teams e.g. psychological
therapies, mental health, counselling, housing• Thyme project (Women In Prison)• Safer Sex Working programme
Safer sex working programme
4 day psychosocial intervention
Self-referral or through a member of the team
Hard-to-reach client group, don’t share those experiences in substance misuse groups but often impacts on their substance use and experiences of trauma
Topics include:• What kinds of sex work are there• What are the emotions experienced by
the service user• Cycle of change to explore attitudes
towards sex working• Education around STI’s and Hepatitis,• methods of contraception and how to use
them (women's health)• Ways to make sexual activities safer and
how to reduce risks of contracting STI or getting pregnant,
• Setting boundaries with yourself and with a client (practice saying no to particular requests)
• Guest speaker to share their story
Domestic and sexual violence Thyme project – partnership with
(Women In Prison)• 6 week personal development
group• For women who have
experienced gender-based violence
• Running since October 2013• Self-referral• Based on the understanding that
safety, trust and self-worth have been compromised
• Thyme self-help journal
Power to Change• New prison initiative, first
programme currently running• 6 weeks, 12 sessions of group
work• Self-referral• Topics include: boundaries, grief
and loss, coping with children in a violent relationship
• Any 1:1 support provided by TSP staff
Partnership working
• WIP (Thyme)• Holloway hub – Phoenix Futures, Hibiscus,
New Horizons, PACT, Working Chance, WIP• The SHINE Project• Fellowships• CRC’s• Probation, DIP, IOM, social work, aftercare
services
