Title
Contents
Acknowledgements 6
The Authors 7
Abbreviations and acronyms 8
Summary 10
1. Introduction 15
1.1 About the research 15
2. Sharing information about offenders between organisations 18
2.1 The need to share information 18
2.2 Levels and types of information about offenders 19
2.3 Sharing working knowledge and sharing formal record data between organisations 21
2.4 Legislative compliance in sharing information about offenders between organisations 22
2.4.1 Proportionality, informed consent, transparency and vital interest 25
2.5 How organisations shared information about offenders 27
2.6 Joint working with protocols 28
2.7 The limits of joint working with protocols 31
2.7.1 Jobcentre Plus and joint working with protocols 32
2.7.2 Prisons and joint working with protocols 34
2.8 Disclosure management processes 35
2.8.1 Information disclosure as a barrier to housing and employment 35
2.8.2 Disclosure management processes for 'recruitment' 36
2.9 Issues for outcome monitoring 38
2.10 Dysfunctional networks 41
3. Routes into settled and suitable accommodation 44
3.1 Introduction 44
3.2 The importance of settled and suitable accommodation 44
3.3 Pathways into suitable and settled accommodation 45
3.3.1 Flexibility and improvisation in response to scarcity 46
3.4 The Private Rented Sector 47
3.5 Housing support services 50
3.5.1 Joint working in delivering housing support services 50
3.5.2 Issues in delivering housing support services 51
3.6 The homelessness legislation 53
3.7 Differences between NI 143 and the goals of frontline service providers 57
4. Routes into employment 59
4.1 Introduction 59
4.2 The importance of employment 59
4.3 Pathways to paid work 60
4.3.1 An ETE pyramid 60
4.4 Soft skills and motivation 62
4.5 Basic skills, advanced and vocational training 65
4.5.1 Motivation to learn and train 66
4.6 Getting work 67
4.6.1 Coordination with Jobcentre Plus 67
4.6.2 Helping offenders into work 68
4.7 Views on NI 144 72
5. Conclusion and recommendations 74
5.1 Information sharing 74
5.2 Issues in outcome monitoring 75
5.3 Delivering suitable and settled accommodation 76
5.4 Delivering employment 76
5.5 Recommendations 77
5.5.1 Main recommendations 77
5.5.2 Recommendations for information sharing 78
5.5.3 Recommendations for outcome monitoring 78
5.5.4 Recommendations for improving housing outcomes 79
5.5.5 Recommendations for improving employment outcomes 80
Figure 2.1 The different levels at which information about offenders is held 20
Figure 2.2 Different forms of sharing information about offenders 27
Figure 4.1 Education, training and skills pyramid 61