We operate three contracts for the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), providing temporary accommodation in communities. The service is aimed at people leaving prison who would otherwise be at risk of street homelessness and reoffending. We offer them a safe place to stay for an initial three months and tailored support to help achieve a positive move on. This is one part of a wider project to reduce reoffending, through the provision of temporary accommodation.
The contract accommodates and provides services to people on probation; this means adult offenders of all genders, who are homeless on release from prison following a custodial sentence.
Our aim is to provide quality homes and the support services that people need to settle into the communities where they live. During their stay, we create a pathway to settled accommodation, providing support to the service user with the goal of moving on to permanent accommodation. This contract is about second chances, fresh beginnings and a lot of compassion. Mears was initially awarded two regions as part of a pilot. Given the successful outcomes delivered through the pilot, Mears was successful in securing work over an expanded geographical area for the longer term. A team of 60 dedicated Welfare Officers work hard to ensure that vulnerable individuals have a safe and secure home, helping them to move on with their lives and into stable move-on accommodation. Tailored support ranges from ensuring personal care plans are in place to support with moving into employment.
“CAS3 has helped me massively since leaving prison. I’ve gained stability that I haven’t had in a very long time, and I can’t imagine where I would be if I didn’t have it.”
Community Accommodation Service Tier 3 Service user
· Annual revenue £16m
· Regions North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, North East
· Contract length Three years (plus a two-year extension option)
· Bed spaces 573 with a revised target of 745 Service users supported in year 4,500
