4Women Partnership- 4Women Resource Centre

The partnership consists of 12 organisations including Stonham, the Probation Service, Lee-way, SeVA, Move on East and WEETU with Stonham acting as lead provider of the 4women partnership. Stonham work with a range of vulnerable groups including; people who have been in prison or through the CJS, women and children escaping DV, sex workers, people with drug/alcohol dependency, and others. The 4women Resource centre has been created by the 4women Partnership to provide services under one roof for women of Norfolk who are involved in or at risk of being involved in the criminal justice system to receive holistic women centred support to address their individual needs. It delivers a range of classes, training and workshops as well as one-to-one sessions.
http://www.4womennorfolk.co.uk/

Addaction- Lincolnshire Consortium

Addaction Lincolnshire is the UK’s largest specialist drug and alcohol treatment charity. Based in a broad range of community settings across the UK, Addaction has over 70 services which are directly supported through local charitable sources or commissioned via a range of funding streams. Addaction is the lead in the Lincolnshire Consortium which was established in response to the identified need for more cohesive services for female offenders in Lincolnshire. Membership of the consortium includes; Lincolnshire Probation, HMP Morton Hall, Lincolnshire Action Trust and Lincolnshire Children’s Services (safeguarding). http://www.addaction.org.uk/

Advance Advocacy - The Minerva Project

Advance is a women’s charity based in West London specialising in domestic violence crisis intervention and supporting women with complex and interrelated problems. It offers advice, support and information to women fleeing or managing domestic violence from intimate partners, tackling problems related to domestic violence, mental health, homelessness, substance misuse, debt, social exclusion and offending. The Minerva Project launched in April 2010 and is designed to offer holistic community based support to women offenders and women at risk of offending in Hammersmith and Fulham by giving practical and emotional support across a range of issues. The support can include group work, 1:1 work, training, counselling, social activities, life skills, and information and advice from other services including housing or substance misuse. There is a criminal justice worker in the team acting as the key link with Probation and the Courts. The worker attends court and generates referrals directly from CJS organisations, also acting as a link with the Police.
http://www.advanceadvocacyproject.org.uk/#/advance-minerva/4545402738

Anawim

Anawim is a project operated in collaboration with the English Province of Our Lady of Charity and Father Hudson’s Society it seeks to provide vulnerable women with wider positive choices to help them achieve their goals and reach their full potential as part of the wider community. Anawim began as a single-issue agency working with female street sex-workers but has grown to provide a full range of services as a one-stop-shop. Anawim seeks to provide vulnerable women with wider positive choices to help them achieve their goals and reach their full potential as part of the wider community. Anawim has been working with vulnerable women for 25 years and in the last 7 years has developed its centre in Balsall Heath, Birmingham, into a one-stop shop service providing holistic women centred support to vulnerable women, including those on community or suspended sentence orders. Anawim offer a range of services to women with complex and multiple needs. In order to provide services on site that address the full range of clients’ needs, Anawim works with a broad range of agencies, including Birmingham Settlement, Birmingham City Council and Midland Heart, SAFE, Addaction, the A-Team, MIND, CRISIS, SIFA Fireside and Jobcentre Plus. Anawim are working closely with local criminal justice agencies and Probation, with probation staff co-located, and are recognised as an alternative to custody through their Unpaid Work Scheme and Specified Activity.
http://www.fatherhudsons.org.uk/index.php?/site/comprocombasedsub/anawim/

Asha Centre

The Asha Women’s Centre in Worcestershire provides a one-stop-shop for women serving the Worcester area and surrounding smaller towns. The centre provides a safe women-only environment that helps women who are dealing with multiple and complex needs. They offer women who are isolated by disadvantage a starting point from which to achieve personal development and improved economic stability. The Asha Centre has its origins on a thoroughly researched and fully established strategy for work with women offenders that operated in the local probation service between 1993 and 2001. They have a Court in-reach activity that aims to increase referrals of lower risk offenders. They work alongside sentencers and other court staff aiming to raise the profile of their work and encourage them to refer victims and less serious offenders to the centre. They offer the women a personalised programme of support and community learning focused on building confidence and developing the skills critical to break out of the cycle of deprivation and offending in which they are so often trapped.
http://ashawomen.org.uk/

Blackpool Women’s Centre

The Blackpool Women’s Centre opened on 2 August 2010. The centre is run by Blackpool Advocacy in partnership with Addaction and a number of statutory organisations are on the project’s steering group including Lancashire Probation Trust, Lancashire Constabulary, Blackpool Council and the National Offender Management Service. The Centre provides a ‘one-stop-shop’ service for targeted women, provided during working hours in an all female environment delivering wrap-around services and signposting women to relevant mainstream services to support them in the community. There are a wide range of partners delivering services from the centre on a regular basis including Drugline, ADS, Women’s Aid, Blackpool Council Adult Learning, Addaction, Shiver, Inward House and Probation. It provides a drop-in facility, available at designated times from the service premises enabling women to access information, advice, guidance and crisis management from staff with levels of specialist knowledge and expertise in working with women. http://www.blackpoolwomenscentre.co.uk/

Brighter Futures –Chepstow House

Brighter Futures are a registered social landlord, training agency, employment and support provider for those challenged by issues such as homelessness, crime, addictions, and poor mental health, including the impact of living in deprived areas and on low incomes, delivering services for people sleeping rough, women involved in sex work and young women at risk of or being sexually exploited. Chepstow House in Hanley opened in February 2010 with the objective of providing individually tailored and intensive services for women offenders and those at risk of
offending in North Staffordshire. Brighter Futures is the lead agency for this service in partnership with Gingerbread and the Citizen Advice Bureau. The service supports women released following custodial sentences; on community orders at risk of breaching their order; on bail; at risk of receiving a custodial sentence; prolific priority offenders; involved in or at risk of prostitution; substance misuse offenders from DIP identified as at high risk of re-offending; and vulnerable and excluded women at risk of offending.
http://www.brighter-futures.org.uk/

Brighton Women’s Centre (Brighton) - Inspire

An enhanced community provision for women offenders and women at risk of offending has been developed by a partnership involving Brighton Oasis Project, Threshold (BHT), Rise, Survivor’s Network, and Brigthon Women’s Centre (BWC) as the lead agency. BWC exists to empower women and promote independence in a safe, women-only space and has been delivering services for over 35 years. The partnership forms Inspire, based at BWC, working with women who have offended and those at risk of offending. Women are able to access a range of services, addressing unemployment, improving literacy and numeracy, as well as working with issues such as domestic and sexual violence, substance misuse and mental health. Addressing these issues helps to reduce women’s offending and re-offending through a holistic women-centred approach. Services from a range of organisations are utilised with the aim of diverting women from crime. Inspire services are available as a Specified Activity Requirement of a Community Order or whilst on licence. http://www.womenscentre.org.uk/index.php?What_We_Do:Inspire_Project

The Cambridge Centre- Women’s Community Project (WCP)

The Cambridge Centre Women’s Community Project opened in April 2010 and is an enhanced one-stop-shop service designed to work with offending and vulnerable women. The aim is to reduce re-offending and providing viable alternatives to custody where appropriate. We work with individuals to address the reasons why they offend by addressing the pathway areas that may lead them to committing crime.
The project also provides early intervention to women who are at risk of entering the Criminal Justice System. Working closely with North Yorkshire Police to support their delivery of restorative justice, they have developed an early intervention package for women who have committed low level offences where the police officer does not feel arrest and/or court are appropriate. With North Yorkshire Probation Trust, Scarborough Office they are delivering a pilot Female Only Specified Activity Requirement. They won the 2010 Howard League Community Award, women’s category. http://www.cambridgecentre.org/

Catch22 - 3D

Catch 22 works with young people in difficult situations its services help them develop the confidence and skills to find solutions that are right for them- whether it’s getting back into school or training, choosing to stay out of trouble, finding a safe place to live or helping them to live independently after leaving care or custody. The 3D Project located in Southampton is a support service for women. They work with women who are engaged in sex work, vulnerable to sexual exploitation, and who have been involved with crime. 3D has a house in inner-city Southampton, providing rooms for offices, clinical examination, group work, one to one counselling and advice, kitchen, laundry and shower. 3D also offers telephone, internet and a ‘care of’ address. It is a safe place, providing drop in, family support, activities, outreach and home visits. The project provides one to one support around housing, education, training, employment, substance misuse, finances, benefits and debt, children and families support, attitudes, thinking and behaviour, and self-esteem, crime and offending, physical and mental health, sex working and risky relationships. http://www.catch-22.org.uk/

Clean Break

Clean Break is a theatre, education and new writing company. They use theatre for personal and political change, working with women whose lives have been affected by the criminal justice system. They believe passionately that engaging in theatre can create new opportunities for these women and develop their personal, social, artistic and professional skills. Clean Break runs an innovative programme of theatre performances and new writing projects, drama-based education and specialist support, professional development and training, and advocacy. Their aim is to enable women who are at risk of offending to fulfil their personal goals and ambitions, and to make informed decisions about their lives and provide these women with the artistic and educational resources to make sense of their experiences and to voice the issues they consider to be important.
http://www.cleanbreak.org.uk/

Eden House

Eden House provides Day and Outreach Services to women involved in the criminal justice system. Based in Bristol is provides a one-stop service that engages women in making positive changes to their lives - reducing their propensity to offend and increasing their access to mainstream services and opportunities. Eden House is run locally and managed in partnership with Avon and Somerset Probation Trust. A steering group to develop and support the project comprises Safer Bristol, Avon & Somerset Police, Avon and Somerset Probation Trust, Bristol Magistrates, HMP Eastwood Park Prison and the National Offender Management Service South West. The project works in partnership with Avon & Somerset Probation Trust to support requirements of community orders. Eden House provides a range of holistic gender informed services which address the various needs of women involved in the criminal justice system. http://www.edenhouseproject.org/

ESCAPE Family Support - SWAN Project

ESCAPE Family Support Ltd is the lead agency for this partnership project, and has worked in Northumberland for 14 years. ESCAPE provides holistic support to substance users their families and carers across Northumberland, delivering stand-alone services and interventions in partnership with statutory and non-statutory agencies. The SWAN Project (Supporting Women Around Northumberland) is delivered by a partnership of voluntary sector organisations in Northumberland: ESCAPE Family Support Ltd, Relate, Women’s Health Advice Centre and Fourth Action to work alongside women who need help or additional support where there is a vulnerability of potential or persistent offending behaviour. SWAN works across Northumberland, but in particular aims to tackle some of the difficulties women in rural communities face when accessing services. It has extensive hubs and through outreach it works by taking services to women and not bringing women to services. The project aims to develop and deliver a peripatetic service (virtual one-stop-shop) using partner bases in all major towns and community meeting places. SWAN concentrates on substance misuse; finance benefit and debt; relationships; children – including hidden harm; attitudes thinking and behaviour and offending. The client group has access to counselling, therapies and key work support where there are relationship; parenting; drug and alcohol use, domestic violence; housing; debt and mental health issues.
http://www.escapefamilysupport.co.uk/

Female Prisoners Welfare Project (FPWP)- Hibiscus

The Female Prisoners Welfare Project (FPWP) is a registered charity established in 1986 to provide support for females of all ethnic origins and nationalities within the UK criminal justice system. Hibiscus is a branch of FPWP and was set up in 1991 to address the special needs of foreign national women imprisoned in the UK. The Hibiscus Resettlement and Reintegration Programme provides practical advice and emotional support on issues that women may face when moving back into the community from either prison or detention. This support also extends to those who have not served a prison sentence but who are facing hardship as a result of an undetermined immigration situation. The aim is to divert migrant, foreign nationals or BAMER women from offending cycles. Clients are provided with support on issues such as: determining their legal and immigration status; housing and benefits entitlements; family contact and children’s care; employment and training opportunities and options for women who have been abused and/involved in the sex trade. http://fpwphibiscus.org.uk/

Hafan Cymru

Hafan Cymru is a charitable organisation operating across Wales, providing housing and support services to women, men and their children, particularly those escaping Domestic Abuse. The Embrace Project was launched in July 2010. Embrace is a pilot Project which works with vulnerable young women aged 14-25 who are at risk of offending in the 4 counties of Dyfed Powys i.e. Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys. The Hafan Cymru Embrace Project team provide support to address the individual needs of young women, and aims to engage them in education and employment, in order to move them away from any current or future involvement in the criminal justice system. The Project is endorsed by the Police, NOMS, Probation Service and local Supporting People teams in the local authorities involved. http://www.hafancymru.co.uk/content/public/Home/WelcometoHafanCymru.aspx

Halton Women’s Centre

Halton Women’s Centre in Runcorn opened in 2008 and is a three way partnership between The Relationships Centre, Halton Borough Council and Halton and St Helens Primary Care Trust. The Relationships Centre is a charity working with families in difficulties, young people at risk and care leavers. The Halton Women’s Centre offers a wide range of health and emotional well being services, with the aim to promote women’s positive mental health, increase confidence and self awareness, support healthier lifestyles and address women’s health needs in a comfortable and safe environment. The Centre is run by a dedicated staff team from The Relationships Centre as well as volunteers and offers a range of services including counselling, self development programmes, educational and health courses to support vulnerable women. They work with a wide range of issues that clients bring including abusive relationships, mental health issues, offending behaviour, social isolation and debt. The Centre acts as an alternative to custody for sentencers and since 2010 women can be referred to Halton Women’s Centre as part of a specified Activity for Female Empowerment (SAFE) Requirement. SAFE is aimed at women offenders aged 18 and over who have been assessed by Cheshire Probation as being suitable for the community based order women are able to address problems linked the their offending through the Centre’s services. http://www.therelationshipscentre.co.uk/halton

ISIS Project

ISIS Women’s Centre, (a Nelson Trust service), is based in the centre of Gloucester and aims to address the wide range of needs of women at risk of re-offending and to divert women away from custody. ISIS provides support for women in a safe, women-only environment where they can be assisted to identify their needs and helped to find strategies and solutions to support them. The centre aims to contribute toward the prevention and reduction of offending through the provision of an alternative, community-based service for women. They aim to deliver responsive, accessible provision, which enhances and builds upon existing services already in operation in Gloucestershire County. They work in partnership with a variety of other community based specialist voluntary and statutory agencies. Referral routes into our service are via local CJS agencies such as Probation, Police, Courts, HMP Eastwood Park, IOM, DIP Team, and via local voluntary and NHS, substance misuse agencies. They have also developed a specified activity requirement in conjunction with Gloucestershire Probation Trust. http://www.isiswomenscentre.com/about-isis-2/

Jagonari – Women Ahead

Jagonari Womens Education Resource Centre provides high quality integrated services to women and their families in order to promote and actively facilitate the greater participation of BME women in civil society. Women Ahead is a Jagonari and Providence Row Housing Association project providing support services and advice for women in contact with the criminal justice system and those at risk of offending. As a one-stop-shop they run a programme of activities and offer a range of accredited courses on-site, in the past these have included interior design and first aid. They work closely with the Criminal Justice System agencies including Probation, Police, prisons and courts. They have a service level agreement (SLA) with London Probation Trust’s Tower Hamlets LDU for specified activity and therefore receive referrals for women to attend the centre on a court order. They also have a SLA with HMP Holloway running a weekly surgery there; a generic surgery for women being released into Tower Hamlets, Hackney and Newham and a pan-London domestic violence surgery on alternate weeks. Their Link Workers also visit the custody suite in Bethnal Green on demand.
http://www.jagonari.org.uk/

New Dawn New Day- Just Women Project

Formerly known as the Turning Point Women’s Centre, New Dawn New Day, located in Leicester, has supported vulnerable and disadvantaged women for 24 years and achieves their aims through the provision of a range of quality services including social and emotional support, childcare, parenting support, health promotion, education and supported volunteering for women and their families. The Just Women Project works with women in the criminal justice system to address the causes of their offending, diverting them from court and custodial sentences and reduce their re-offending. The project works with women in a holistic, women–centred way in an environment that is welcoming, safe and non-judgemental. It offers a variety of 1-2-1 wraparound support including 1-2-1 support from an Outreach Support worker; individual support plans; counselling; money, debt and benefit advice, provided by Community Advice and Law Service (formerly Leicester Money Advice). It offers a range of group activities including: independent life skills; healthy living sessions and a range of learning and personal development programmes, including volunteering. Childcare provision is available on site. Leicester & Rutland Probation Trust (LRPT) has co-located members of probation staff at the Centre to become part of the Outreach and Support team at Just Women. http://www.tpwomen.org.uk/

North Wales Women’s Centre

The holistic women centred, multi service provision Centre located in Rhyl provides information, support, advocacy, training on issues relating to work, health and wellbeing as well as confidential crisis support around issues such as homelessness, domestic abuse and difficulties which may result or has resulted in breaking the law. http://www.northwaleswomenscentre.co.uk/

Nottingham Women’s Centre- CHANGES

The CHANGES project is run from Nottingham Women’s Centre, which has over 40 years experience of supporting vulnerable women. CHANGES opened its doors in September 2010. They work closely with Nacro and Nottingham Probation Trust. They offer tailored support in a safe, women only environment. They have in-house childcare, counselling and training facilities and access to crisis interventions from Women’s Aid and Rape Crisis. By providing holistic support to women with offending histories, they aim to reduce the risk of further offending and improve their self esteem and make positive changes to their lives.

http://www.nottinghamwomenscentre.com/changes-project/

One 25

One25 reaches out to women trapped in street sex work, supporting them to break free and build new lives away from violence, poverty and addiction. They offer one-to-one casework, supporting each woman in taking steps to improve her quality of life and acting as personal advocate when necessary. They have a drop-in facility and run outreach services. Caseworkers help the women establish themselves in the basic aspects of life such as accommodation, health, benefits, family support, and education. One 25 has a Criminal Justice worker who supports women involved in the criminal justice system providing casework, outreach and in reach services at HMP Eastwood Park. One 25 works closely with Avon and Somerset Police supporting Conditional Cautions and delivering Engagement and Support Orders. http://www.one25.org.uk/

PACT – Alana House

PACT supports disadvantaged and vulnerable families, women who experience domestic abuse, parenting, and managing Children’s Centres across Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire as well as operating education and adoption and fostering schemes in London and the south east of England. PACT has been building and strengthening families across the Thames Valley since 1911. Alana House run by PACT operates a partnership delivery model that supports women offenders and those at risk of offending to access specialist support from both statutory and voluntary local support agencies in a safe, women only space. Alana House aims to deliver an integrated support package focused on enabling women to break cycles of chaos and develop skills to manage problems independently in the community. In addition to this, Alana House seeks to offer a viable alternative to custodial sentences for women by offering structured interventions and support at every point that women may enter the Criminal Justice System from Conditional Cautioning through to community sentences and post-custodial sentence release. Alana House offers women access to one-to-one support, both informal and structured, group work and outreach. http://www.pactcharity.org/housing_and_community/community_support/alana_house_womens_community_project

Peterborough Women’s Centre (PWC)- Dawn Project

PWC provides holistic services for women in a female only environment. The Dawn project is run by PWC and holistically supports women involved in or at risk of being involved in the criminal justice system. The project supports women to change the aspects of their lives they are unhappy with and helps them with finding accommodation; accessing training, education & employment; coping with anxiety, stress, low self-esteem, anger, drug & alcohol problems; managing finances, benefits & debt, parenting, domestic violence & abuse and issues around prostitution. The project runs an unpaid work scheme as part of Release on Temporary Licence (RoTL) and runs an Attendance Centre and Engagement and Support Orders. PWC works closely with Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Probation Trust and HMP Peterborough and also runs a Through the Gate project supporting all women in the prison and arranging referrals for these women to various agencies that can support them to address their needs. http://www.peterboroughwomenscentre.org.uk/index.php?p=1_28_Dawn-Project

Cambridge Women’s Resource Centre - Dawn Project

CWR is an organisation of women working together for all women to provide information, support and training, in an empowering environment based on mutual respect. The Dawn Proejct is a sister project to the one run at Peterborough Women’s Centre supporting women offenders and those at risk of offending. The project supports women to change the aspects of their lives they are unhappy with and helps them with finding accommodation; accessing training, education & employment; coping with anxiety, stress, low self-esteem, anger, drug & alcohol problems; managing finances, benefits & debt, parenting, domestic violence & abuse and issues around prostitution. http://www.cwrc.org.uk/

Platform 51- Chrysalis

Platform 51supports women and girls they run 15 Women’s Centres in some of the most deprived areas of England and Wales. They also work in schools, community centres, youth clubs, mother and baby units, and prisons and online. The Chrysalis programme run in Truro, Bilston and Wales is specifically for women offenders or those at risk of offending. They work with women in the community and in custody to help them get the full range support services they need. They consider each woman’s complete wellbeing: their physical and mental health, their housing and family background, and drug and alcohol misuse. They offer education, training, help with housing, finances and family matters. The women only centres offer a safe environment to talk about violence and abuse, and they compliment this with counselling and life skills. http://www.platform51.org/

PSS-Turnaround

PSS is an established charity that provides care, health, and community services that help people get the most out of life. PSS provides the Women’s Turnaround project based at the Community Justice Centre in Kirkdale, Liverpool which started in November 2010. The project works with Liverpool women age 18 plus who have offended or are at risk of offending. The project aims to be an alternative to custody by offering services to help women address issues affecting their lives, such as alcohol, drugs or employment in a female only environment that provides holistic individualised support. The one stop shop approach means that targeted help for women taking part is given by partners such as the Citizens Advice Bureaux, drug and alcohol agencies, training and employment agencies, mental health services, counselling and accommodation providers. The project is supported by Merseyside Probation Trust and Primary Care Trust. http://www.pss.org.uk/cpage-11-0-Home.html

Re-Unite South London

The Re-Unite South London Project houses mothers who would be homeless on their release from prison, enabling these mothers to be reunited with their children. The project is a partnership between Housing for Women and Commonweal Housing. Housing for Women provide safe and secure accommodation for women with children and flats for single women through over 800 properties in southeast and west London. Commonweal Housing is a housing charity established to continue a family philanthropic legacy that aims to work in partnership with others as a test bed, innovator, researcher, and campaigner for new models and new ways of working to find housing based solutions to different forms of social injustice. Re-Unite South London has properties in the boroughs of Greenwich, Lewisham and Southwark. The project provides a package of support and access to housing for mothers that have been separated from their children whilst serving a prison sentence providing the family with stable and safe accommodation together with all the support they need to address various issues such as health, debt, education and employment. It gives the family time and space to re-establish themselves as a self-sufficient and productive family unit. The family is then ready and able to move into independent accommodation within twenty-four months of release. http://www.re-unite.org.uk/south-london/

Salford Foundation -Together Women Project

Salford Foundation is a social inclusion organisation that provides opportunities for young people and adults to develop social, academic, vocational and personal skills. Through a range of intervention and prevention programmes the staff at Salford Foundation also support young people and adults who are both hard to reach and hard to engage. The Together Women Project in Salford is designed for women who have offended or who are at risk of doing so. The Together Women Project, which is delivered by the Salford Foundation together with a range of partners including Greater Manchester Probation Trust was one of five pilots established nationally in 2007 in response to the Corston Report. It offers a gender specific response to women offenders or those at risk of offending. The centre operates as a one-stop shop with a broad range of sessions and surgeries delivered on-site providing everything from debt advice through to support for mental health issues, drug and alcohol addiction, relationship problems, domestic abuse advice, education and job training. http://www.salfordfoundation.org.uk/adults/

Stonham – PROMISe

PROMISe (Plymouth Reducing Offending through Meaningful Interventions Service) supports women who are involved in the criminal justice system. It is part of the Integrated Services for Women in Plymouth (ISWP), an approach and a partnership of statutory and voluntary sector organisations working collaboratively within Plymouth to better meet the needs of this client group. As the lead organisation for PROMISe, Stonham is England’s largest provider of care and support for vulnerable and socially excluded people. They run over 520 services nationwide, working in partnership with probation services, local authorities, health care providers and others, delivering services to over 20,000 people each year. Stonham is part of Home Group, one of the UK’s leading housing associations. The objective of the PROMISe is to reduce offending and the impact of offending upon the city by providing individual packages of support to meet the individual needs of women in a holistic women only environment. The service supports SAR (specified activity requirement) in conjunction with Devon and Cornwall Probation Service and conditional cautions an early intervention to divert women from the criminal justice system in conjunction with Devon and Cornwall Police. Stonham-PROMISe are currently updating their website and will keep you informed of developments; in the meantime you can make contacting via email address This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Tees Valley women’s centre- Reaches

Tees Valley Women’s Centre based in the North east of England is a grass roots venture providing education, learning opportunities and resources, access to employment and enterprise opportunities: and a drop in facility to tackle the social, community and economic issues of women across the Tees Valley area. The centre through its 'Reaches' Project works in partnership with Durham Tees Valley Probation Trust, aims to contribute toward prevention and reduction of women offending by providing an alternative community-based service. Women referred by DVPT, magistrates Courts, and women due to leave prison are supported on a one to one basis, given a personalised development plan and benefit from the large number of both accredited and non accredited courses provided by the Centre in order to help improve the quality of life, reduce isolation and help to break the reoffending cycle.http://www.teesvalleywomenscentre.co.uk/

The Cyrenians - WoW Project

The Cyrenians based in Newcastle is one of the country’s leading and most progressive homeless charities. Changing Lives, Building Futures’ they offer a holistic approach to tackling the needs of vulnerable and socially disadvantaged people. The Women Outside Walls (WOW) service is a virtual ‘one stop shop’ aimed at diverting women from custody in Newcastle and reducing rates of re-offending. The immediate aim is to break the ‘revolving door’ cycle of short-term custodial sentence and non-compliance with court orders. The overall aim is to enable women to develop life skills and qualifications which lead to employment opportunities and healthy, independent and productive lifestyles. The specialist needs-led service tackles complex personal and social needs, raises self confidence and self esteem, develops basic personal key skills, introduces meaningful activity, engages in innovative learning and supports sustained improvement. WoW works closely with Northumbria Probation Service and local Courts to promote compliance with Court Orders, Licence and Bail Conditions. http://www.thecyrenians.org/NR/exeres/96E8871A-92D8-4461-910B-43AB684E63F0

Together

Together runs a Forensic Mental Health Practitioner (FMHP) service that works closely with magistrates’ courts and probation to identify vulnerable offenders with mental health and other complex needs with one of the aims being the reduction in the use of custody through recommending alternative community disposals and interventions. The service is offered across 13 London boroughs, encompassing seven London courts. As part of the provision, Together runs a women-specific FMHP service at Thames Magistrates Court (TMC), serving the boroughs of Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Newham and Waltham Forest. The service supports women offenders to access and engage with services in the community, as an alternative to custody, to improve their health, address their social care needs and reduce the risk of re-offending.
http://www.together-uk.org/

Together Women Project Yorkshire and Humberside

The Together Women Programme aims to make a difference to the lives of women offenders and women at risk of offending. TWP aims to help women tackle the reasons they commit crimes by working with key workers and community based women's centres. Previously a successful government demonstration project, TWP is now an independent charity with centres across Yorkshire. Within the TWP centre in Leeds, Bradford, Hull and Sheffield women can access advice on health, education and training, housing, substance misuse, finance and family issues. All the centres provide creche facilities so that service users can focus on the issues they need to address while their children have fun in a safe environment. http://fhg693.demonweb.co.uk/TWP/home.html

Trust

Trust is a community based women’s project offering support and positive opportunities to women involved in or exited from street prostitution and women involved in, moving on from, or at risk of involvement in the criminal justice system. Support is offered through street outreach, drop-in, a court diversion scheme, substance misuse key work, housing & benefits, aftercare, counselling and a group work & resettlement programme. Women are referred through existing internal routes such as: street outreach, drop-in, court diversion scheme & self referrals. Other existing referral sources include Arrest Referral, Police, Social Services, Lorraine Hewitt House (SLAM), Blenheim CDP RISE and a wide range of statutory and voluntary sector agencies. http://www.trust-london.com/

Urban Outreach- Eve’s Space

Eve’s Space opened in September 2010 and works with women who are at risk of offending, as well as those already involved in the criminal justice system, such as those on probation or recently released from short-term prison sentences. It is jointly run by local charity Urban Outreach, Bolton Probation and Bolton Council and is based at the Urban Outreach’s Urban Restore Centre. Urban Outreach (Bolton) is a registered Christian Charity, established in 1990 to work with disadvantaged and vulnerable individuals in the town of Bolton, Greater Manchester. Eve’s Space engages with women at a range of locations in Bolton and in custodial settings. It provides individual and group programmes at the Urban Restore Centre and other locations to address women’s needs such as education and training, substance misuse and community integration. These programmes are delivered by key partner agencies and relevant community services, as well as Eve’s Space staff. Eve’s Space works with women offenders, providing a statutory service for women who are supervised under the terms of a court order and/or licence. A drop-in facility is available at designated times in different locations, enabling women to access information, advice, guidance and crisis management. http://www.urbanoutreach.co.uk/projects/10

Well Women – The Evolve Project

The Well Women centre has operated since 1985, offering women-only services at Cheapside in Wakefield city centre and at outreach centres in the district, providing a holistic, non-medical approach to women’s health and well-being. The Evolve project provides practical and emotional support for women who have offended or are at risk of offending. Working in partnership with Probation, Evolve staff and volunteers provide tailored, practical and emotional support for women around issues such as benefits and debt, housing, substance misuse, and families and relationships. http://www.wellwomen.org.uk/index.php?page=the-evolve-project

Women’s Centre Blackburn & East Lancashire - Vision

Women’s Centre is a one shop stop for women that offers a range of services and opportunities to ‘Support, Encourage and Enable’ all women to get the best out of life for themselves and their families. The centres provide a safe, non-judgemental and professional environment that is a female only environment. The CJS specific Vision programme has been running since 2009 and offers a range of interventions specifically aimed at reducing reoffending and improving the mental health and socio-economic wellbeing of women within the criminal justice system. The centres have co-located offender managers and a rolling programme of support that is available as a national standards appointment. Women referred to Vision are allocated a key worker who then facilitates access to all other support both in house and through external agencies as appropriate. http://www.womenscentre.org/

WomenCentre (Calderdale and Kirklees) – Evolve

WomenCentre follows a holistic one stop shop approach for all women that is safe, involving, empowering and enabling. They offer centre based services and outreach in local communities. Evolve provides holistic support packages to women offenders and women at risk of offending, through the one-stop-shop approach of the women centres in Halifax and Huddersfield. Caseworkers, support workers and volunteers work closely in partnership with the women themselves, the Probation Service, Police, Courts, and Drugs and Alcohol agencies. Integrated packages of support are drawn up with the woman and may include any or all of the following; debts, benefits, physical, emotional and mental health issues, domestic violence and abuse, substance misuse issues, reducing likelihood of re-offending, education, training, employment, children and parenting support. http://www.womencentre.org.uk/evolve.php

Women@thewell and Depaul UK

women@thewell is dedicated to women caught up in ‘pavement culture’ (homelessness, prostitution, drugs, alcohol, violence, poor physical and mental ill health). Depaul UK is the largest national charity working with homeless and disadvantaged young people since 1989; around one-third of the people they work with annually are young offenders. Depaul UK and Women@thewell are working together to provide support to women in London, focusing primarily on those aged 18-30 in a pan London Service. The Women’s Community Project is based at the day centre in Kings Cross and is for all vulnerable women who feel they would like support in the community and offers a non judgemental, confidential service. The project specialise in working with women involved in street based prostitution, women offenders and ex-offenders, trafficked and all women who maybe engaged with the Criminal Justice System. http://www.ourladyofmercy.org.uk/whatwedo/dsp-default.cfm?loadref=216

Women in Prison and the Pankhurst Centre – Women Matta

Women in Prison supports and campaigns for women affected by the Criminal Justice System (CJS). They assist women with advice on housing, education, mental health, legal rights, work, benefits, debt, domestic violence, and more. Pankhurst Cente the birthplace of the Suffragette movement is now a women’s community centre. It provides and offers space for activities and events run by women for women. It offers a unique place in which women can learn together, work on projects and socialise. WomenMatta is a unique partnership between The Pankhurst Centre and Women In Prison. We provide holistic help, advice and support to women who are in touch with the criminal justice system or women who might be at risk of offending. We provide one-to-one casework, groups, and advice surgeries at the Pankhurst Centre and in other locations across Manchester and Trafford. We can help with a whole range of difficulties including families/relationships, domestic abuse, mental health, housing/homelessness, finances or debt and education/employment. http://www.womeninprison.org.uk/WomenMATTA(Manchester).php

Women’s Work - Turn Around Project

Women’s Work, located on Derby, provides respite, advice and support to female substance mis-users involved in street sex work. The Turn Around project offers an outreach support service at HM Prison Foston Hall and in the community to support vulnerable women in the Criminal Justice System in order to reduce re-offending. The Turn Around project, works in partnership with Derbyshire Probation Trust to provide assistance in delivering integrated packages of support for women offenders. The project offers a holistic support service, providing downloaded from intensive one to one support, tailored at each individual woman’s need. Delivery is through Women’s Work existing centre and wraparound services. Support packages address all the underlying causes of offending behaviour. http://www.womens-work.org.uk/

Working Chance

Working Chance was set up in 2007 to assist women offenders in making the transition into the world of work and employment. A bespoke employment service is offered where each client and each employer are seen as unique to ensure successful matches. As well as finding their clients paid work; they also offer quality voluntary placements as stepping stones to paid employment and a career. This approach has proved highly effective, with the vast majority of clients have moved on to paid work once they have regained their confidence and life skills. They offer many services to ensure a smooth transition to work including careers guidance; one to one support; workshops; briefing the employer about the offending history; attending interviews with the women and supporting both employer and employee throughout the whole recruitment process and beyond. http://www.workingchance.org/

Last Updated on Apr122012