Inspire: Supporting women with multiple vulnerabilities Lisa Dando and Sophie Gibson 30 th January 2015

 Evidence based approach  Psychologically and trauma informed responses  Bespoke wrap around emotional and practical support  Building confidence and motivation  79% increase in well-being  75% improvement in accommodation  Prison place at £54,415 or Inspire at £1,300  SROI –£1 invested results in £3.57 return on investment  87.5% reduction in reoffending

 Early diversion – from Police Custody/court  Alternative to Custody  In-reach  Through The Gate (TTG) post prison support  Re-unite  Mentoring

Brighton Women’s Centre RISE Threshold BHT Survivors’ Network Brighton Oasis Project

Inspire Brighton East Sussex Eastbourne & Hastings West Sussex Crawley & Worthing

 Women with multiple vulnerabilities and complex and inter- related needs  71% of women have issues relating to accommodation  80% of clients have and continue to experience domestic violence  Between a third and a half have experienced childhood abuse  62% lack skills in education, training and employment  Almost half Inspire clients are mothers. Of these 67% have had their children taken into care or adopted  77% suffer from mental health needs including anxiety, depression and isolation

70% are mothers 37% have had children removed A total of 14 children removed  1child in care  9 children placed elsewhere  4 children in foster care  21% have social services involvement with children on child protection plan

 Women often do not show up in head counts of rough sleepers  Women do not stay in mixed hostels as feel unsafe in mixed accommodation  Homelessness is a pathway into sex work as women swop sex for a bed  Women will return to unsafe relationships as alternative to being homeless  High incidence of drug use – some women fund their and their partners drug use through sex work

Clients have history of trauma and abuse 80% have DV and 50% childhood abuse  Challenge to manage multiple appointments Evidenced through neuroscience research  Isolation and difficulty in accessing services  Use of drugs and alcohol to self-medicate  Breech rates and compliance  Pushes vulnerable towards custody threshold  Coerced into crime – vulnerable to further abuse and exploitation

 Two Pronged approach  A: Building relationships and trust.  Evidence that building relationships are at the heart of creating change  Inspire women do not access services prior to coming to Inspire  B: One stop shop  Ability to address multiple needs in one location

BRIDGET

 Vulnerability with regards housing  Low level literacy skills  Inability to access mental health services  Self medicating with substances  Loss of daughter into care  Increased risk of criminal justice involvement  Impact of underlying trauma and PTSD  Complex and interrelated needs create a downward spiral of increased vulnerability and risk

 Gender specific housing strategy ◦ Adopts a trauma informed approach ◦ Gender specific accommodation ◦ Ensures that accommodation and services are in the same geographical area.  Inspire specialist staff  Co-commissioning of services for vulnerable clients include: housing, health and children’s service  Evidencing financial and social savings

 Lisa Dando  Director  Brighton Women’s Centre   Sophie Gibson  Inspire Operational Manager 