Evaluation of Kairos WWT Prison In-reach and Post-release Floating Support Service for women

Project overview

Our objective was to provide an independent evaluation of Kairos WWT prison in-reach project at HMP Peterborough and Coventry based Floating Support Service.

The prison in-reach service involves a Kairos’ project worker making monthly visits to HMP Peterborough, meeting with female prisoners with a link to Coventry (pre or post-sentence) who have a history of or vulnerability to sex working. On release from prison, support is provided by Kairos Floating Support Service, offering a brokering service for mainstream agencies, providing a member of staff to advocate on behalf of women.

The evaluation aim was to capture the work of this service focusing on organisational systems and processes and capturing the experiences of the staff and the women supported.

Project objectives

• Examine the process by which the intervention is provided (including partnership working and training needs).
• Explore service users’ (women’s) experiences of engaging with the support provided by the prison in-reach project.
• Identify the potential benefits associated with an intervention in a prison setting (and beyond) for service users, for prison staff, for HMP Peterborough, and other stakeholders.
• Identify potential challenges to the provision of the Prison In-reach intervention in a prison setting for service users, for prison staff, for HMP Peterborough, and other stakeholders.
• Explore potential frameworks to evaluate service users experience, e.g. readiness for desistance, recovery.
• Capture the perceptions of significant others/family on service users engagement with the intervention.
• Consider the need for future provision of a prison in-reach intervention with this client group.
• Evaluate the benefits of linking the Prison In-reach service with the Post-prison Floating Support Service.