Oak Foundation support for ex-offenders
In the last few weeks Hestia has secured the support of the OAK Foundation to deliver a new and exciting peer training and mentoring service to ex-offenders.
The idea for Back on Track originated at a conference Hestia hosted in January 2011 about our work supporting offenders. Several of our service users contributed to this event and expressed the view that training and support for people adjusting to life after prison needs to be peer-led in order for it to have an impact. Peer support was said to be powerful because peers empower and innovate, they have an ease of communication and a sense of empathy with other offenders.
Some of our service users comments included: “You need to learn from someone you respect; someone who has been through some of the same experiences and learned from them.” and “You need someone who does not just talk about your offence and offending behaviour….who treats you like a person and involves you in things.”
Service users highlighted several issues where they felt training and support was crucial to enable them to successfully rebuild their life after prison. These included:
- Insight into their own thinking and behaviour
- Learning / regaining life skills
- Strategies to cope with the shift from prison to outside
- Overcoming barriers to accessing housing and employment
Back on Track has been designed by service users with a history of homelessness and offending to specifically address these issues. Over the coming 4 years it will work with 600 service users through a programme of peer led training and peer mentoring.
