After three years inside, Danny* was released from prison without anywhere to stay – this was a huge disappointment and an incredibly stressful situation for him. He had been left to sleep on the streets, something which could have triggered old behaviours…
Luckily a Reset Support Worker was assigned to his case and moved Danny into emergency accommodation. They worked with him to understand his housing needs – a safe space for his children to stay, and away from any associates that could lead him to reoffending. His criminal record, along with a previous eviction was a particular challenge to overcome when approaching landlords, especially whilst trying to stick to the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) price range.
Danny was incredibly pleased when we found him a room in a private property, paid the deposit and a rent advance, and helped him purchase the essentials he needed. He’s gone from strength to strength, paying his rent and bills on time, engaging with the Probation Service, and having his children stay with him on the weekends. He has since started a degree with the Open University and has even applied to become a volunteer at Connection Support. He’s keen to join the Reset Team and put his own experiences to positive use.
Danny’s Support Worker said: “When I met Danny, he had a really positive attitude, he did not want to go back to offending or addiction and had ambitions to help others who were stuck in an unhealthy cycle. Danny spoke about being a good influence in his children’s lives and just needed a chance to create a good life for himself. We talked a lot about how we could get him back into work, volunteering, and education. Danny has lived experience that I felt could be a real asset when helping others in the future. It has been an absolute pleasure to support him on his journey.”
Thanks to the Reset service, we have been able to reduce the risk of offending and give Danny the much-deserved, second chance he needed. He now has an incredibly bright future ahead of him.
For more information about our Reset service please click here.
(*name changed to protect client’s identity)
