Getting resettlement from custody right is vitally important. It can, and should, enable young people leaving custody, to be given the support they need to help prevent them from reoffending, ultimately providing a long term benefit both to them as individuals and to the communities in which they live.
In recent years resettlement has become a prominent concern in the attempt to tackle youth crime. The YJB published Youth Resettlement: A Framework for Action in 2006, which sets out a blueprint for effective work on resettlement.
In 2007, Catch 22 [opens in new window] (formerly Rainer) led on RESET (Resettlement, Education, Support, Employment and Training), a project funded by the European Social Fund that aimed to improve the resettlement of young offenders. Click to read more about RESET [opens in new window], including an evaluation of the project.
The dimensions of the problem are illustrated by data from YJB information team which shows that that half of the 1,010 children and young people coming out of custody reoffended within six months . The Youth Crime Action Plan [opens in new window], published in July 2008, provided a renewed focus on resettlement. It made a number of major commitments relating to resettlement.
Two specific commitments which the YJB were asked to lead on were:
- to develop and pilot a consortia approach to resettlement
- to expand the Resettlement and Aftercare Provision (RAP) with £6m funding over two years.
Regional resettlement consortia
The YJB is currently leading the development of two regional resettlement consortia, one in the North West, and one in the South West of England, each lead by project managers. The consortia takes a comprehensive approach to resettlement, focusing on the development of strategic relationships across a number of local authorities. The aim is to encourage integrated working between the youth justice system, children’s services and other important services in local authority areas with a shared interest in the same custodial establishments. Both projects will be evaluated to determine lessons learned and quantify the benefits. We expect the pilots to operate until March 2011. Young offenders coming out of custody within the consortia areas will receive enhanced resettlement support including mentoring and extra support with accommodation and education, training and employment.
In the North West, an agreement has been made with Catch 22 to provide supported accommodation for up to 10 young people released from HMYOI Hindley into one of the consortium member authorities.
A regional consortium is also being implemented in London by the London Criminal Justice Board (LCJB) - this pilot went live in September 2009. This consortium is focussed on providing resettlement support to young men from the six Diamond Boroughs in south east London with a focus on education, training and employment outcomes. The YJB is assisting with the development of the project and has contributed funding towards the evaluation. A key strand of the project is the development of the Heron Unit in HMYOI Feltham; a dedicated resettlement wing which accommodates up to 30 young people from the six Diamond Boroughs areas to provide enhanced resettlement services.
Integrated Resettlement Support
Following the evaluation and the lessons learnt from Resettlement and Aftercare Provision (RAP), the YJB has developed a new programme to replace RAP – Integrated Resettlement Support (IRS).
IRS works to offer better provision of these services to improve outcomes for young people coming out of custody to help them turn their backs on crime.
IRS aims to provide enhanced resettlement services through £6m funding provided over two years to 48 new local authority areas, bringing the total number of areas receiving funding from the YJB to 107.
In Wales, six Resettlement Support Panels have been set up in six local authorities to pilot and test how a multi-agency ‘review’ process can improve resettlement outcomes.
Click for more information on IRS.
Further information on aspects of resettlement can be found below: