Kirklees: Helping those leaving prison and under treatment for substance abuse get tenancy ready

• Council commissions a dedicated supported housing service for those leaving prison and being treated for substance misuse
• Each client lives in stand-alone property and works one-to-one with housing support officer
• Intensive support provided alongside treatment for alcohol and drug problems to get clients ready to move into private or social housing

Kirklees commissions a wide range of supported housing services from general needs accommodation to specialist services for people with learning disabilities. These options include a dedicated accommodation offer for those who are getting treatment for substance misuse or have been just released from prison.

STARS (Substance, Tenancy and Resettlement Service) is provided by Horton Housing Association from 15 stand-alone houses across the borough. There is a team of housing support workers who work in-depth with the residents accepted into the service.

The ultimate aim is to get the residents “tenancy ready” so they can move into private or social housing and live independently. Alongside the one-to-one work with the housing support workers, residents are given help accessing any extra support they need, such as with employment, education or benefits. Those with substance misuse problems attend their treatment appointments alongside this.

Horton Housing Association Kirklees Head of Service Andrew Davies said: “The first thing our team does is spend time building up a rapport with the individuals we work alongside – that is essential. They may play pool or go for a walk and gradually build up trust. It can take weeks.

Then they start to plan the support they need. It is really intensive, much more so than you would get in general supported housing. We have one housing support worker for every five residents. They will visit them at least twice a week and sometimes for several hours at a time.

“One of the big issues the people referred into the service face is the lack of support networks. They may have become estranged from their families and are certainly not involved in the local community. The housing support worker helps them build up these networks and relationships. In fact, we have found the new relationships they build with other residents are important too – we do some group day trips together and they often develop a close bond that carries on when they leave.

“They also need support in just managing relationships more generally with neighbours and learning how to be a good neighbour. It can be a long process – we will generally house people for six to 12 months, but it can take two years.”

One of those who was helped was Jane (not her real name), who moved into STARS in her mid 30s when she was released from prison. She had been homeless on-and-off for 15 years and had a history of substance misuse.

She received a variety of support from the STARS team during her two-year stay, including help accessing substance misuse support and GP care for mental health problems. While at STARS she became pregnant, but with the support of staff and social care she kept the baby.

She is now living in her own accommodation and caring for her child. She describes the support she received as “brilliant”, saying staff had gone “above and beyond”.

Others report similar experiences. The most recent figures show 87 per cent of people reported STARS gave them more choice and control over their lives, 71 per cent said it had helped them manage their substance misuse and 75 per cent had improved relationships with family and friends.

Mr Davies said part of the key to the service’s success is the relationship with council’s housing solutions service, which coordinates the referrals for supported housing.

“They know the service really well and understand which people are most appropriate for which service. We have a good, honest relationship. There are times when we have had to said no to referrals because of the mix of people we are already housing we know we cannot provide the support they need. We work together to try to find the right solution for each person.”

Horton also runs three other supported housing services in Kirklees that provide enhanced support, two of which work closely with the council’s housing solutions service.

There is Move On Kirklees, which has 21 homes and works alongside individuals facing a wide range of challenges, some who may also experience substance and alcohol challenges but not require the level of intensive support that STARS is able to offer along with those that are facing in other areas, such as mental health

And there is a dedicated service for men called Spring Street, which includes an eight-bed accommodation centre and 12 move-on apartments. The principles of both are similar to STARS in that the aim is to get residents “tenancy ready”.

Kirklees Council Supported Housing Improvement Programme Coordinator Tannith Howard is delighted with the impact the service has. “The support is invaluable. If we didn’t have STARS in particular we would have very few options for these groups. We would probably have to rely on temporary bed and breakfast accommodation, but without the intensive support they receive at Stars they would remain extremely vulnerable and at risk of falling into a vicious cycle of homelessness and substance misuse and offending.”

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