£183K from Sainsbury Family Charitable Trust

The continuous vision and support of a number of Trusts has made it possible for PSS to innovate a range of services, to enable people to live in the community of their choice.

Thanks to the Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts funding of £183,000, PSS has been able to progress Carers Development projects in Scotland and North Wales, which will provide a safe, supportive and consistent environment for young, ex-offenders.

This discrete community service offers an initial, cost effective accommodation solution to enable the young people to access support and information about benefits, rent, household bills, cleaning, shopping, cooking, personal health care, home safety, social interaction and education. This support helps the ex-offenders and their families to overcome barriers faced in relation to drug and alcohol use, employment, education, mental and physical health and well-being, financial and more generally, social exclusion. As the young people build confidence, develop daily living skills and establish themselves within the local community, PSS will support moves into more independent living environments, in partnership with other agencies.

This service includes support offered to mums and their children to reduce the likelihood of children being taken into care. In this respect the service breaks the cycle of young people offending. Society is now seeing 2nd and 3rd generations of offenders within the same family. Adult Placement provides positive support to improve parenting skills as well as rehabilitation. Carers provide support to enable the young adult to care for their children.

PSS carers can provide a variety of support including emergency placements and day services (based on the model for fostering children) which provide young people and their children with a place of protection. It offers an alternative to a bail hostel (which does not allow children), to restore self esteem and learn positive parenting skills.

We are very grateful for the support of The Sainsbury Family Charitable Trusts and look forward to progressing this exciting initiative.