A safe first night, and a plan for the year that follows.
Housing and structured support for people leaving prison — starting at the gate, holding steady through the first twelve weeks, and stretching as far as it needs to.
Release day, done properly.
The first 72 hours after release decide a lot. Without a bed, a phone, ID and a plan, the road back to prison is depressingly short. Our resettlement service exists so those hours have somewhere safe to land.
We collect people at the gate. We hand them keys to a home that is warm, furnished and ready. Then we walk with them through the paperwork, appointments and small daily wins that turn a release into a rebuild.
This is not a hostel-of-last-resort. It is a proper home, a proper key worker and a proper twelve-week programme — with support that continues for as long as it is needed after that.
Who this service is for
Referrals come mostly from probation, prison resettlement teams and local authority housing options — but the criteria are about need, not category.
People leaving custody with no fixed address
Where standard housing options have not held and release is otherwise into homelessness.
Young adults leaving custody
18–25 year-olds who benefit from smaller, more supported settings rather than adult hostels.
People on licence with support needs
Mental health, substance use, learning needs or trauma alongside a licence condition — support tailored around all of it.
IOM and PPO cohorts
Integrated Offender Management and Prolific & Priority Offender cases, coordinated with police and probation.
Women leaving custody
Women-only options where needed, coordinated with specialist women's services.
Recall prevention referrals
For people at high risk of recall due to accommodation issues — we work directly with probation to hold the placement.
What's included as standard
The full package — because a home without a plan, or a plan without a home, does not work.
Gate collection
We meet residents at the prison gate on release day and travel with them to the property. No first-night uncertainty.
Ready-to-live-in home
Furnished self-contained flat or small shared home, warm, clean and stocked with essentials on arrival.
Named key worker
Weekly one-to-ones for the first twelve weeks, then stepped as needed. One person who knows the whole picture.
Benefits, ID and banking
Universal credit, housing element, bank account, ID documents and phone — sorted in the first fortnight, not left to drift.
Health & substance use links
GP registration, mental health, drug and alcohol services all engaged early through our partner network.
Probation coordination
Direct working relationships with probation, licence conditions supported and reporting kept on track.
Work, training & purpose
Employability support, links to prison-leaver-friendly employers and volunteering routes into meaningful daily activity.
Life-skills programme
Budgeting, cooking, digital confidence and tenancy readiness — practical, weekly, built around the resident.
The Millpond resettlement approach.
Working with prison leavers demands a specific discipline. These are the principles we won't compromise on.
First night in, no exceptions
If we've agreed to take someone, they have keys and a bed on release day. We plan for delays, missed transport and paperwork gaps in advance.
Small caseloads, real relationships
Resettlement key workers hold caseloads of 10–12, not 30. Relationship-based work is only possible with time.
Recall is a last resort — for us too
We work hard, and multi-agency, to prevent recall wherever possible. When it happens, we do a learning review and try to reduce the chance next time.
Support outlasts the programme
Twelve weeks is the structured phase, not the end. Support tapers and continues informally for as long as needed.
The release-day journey, week by week
A predictable, structured route from pre-release planning to independent tenancy. Every week has a purpose.
- 01
Pre-release (weeks −6 to 0)
Referral, in-reach visits or calls, benefits pre-application, ID sorted, key worker introduced. Everything set up before the gate opens.
- 02
Release day
Gate collection, travel to the property, keys handed over, welcome pack walked through in person. Food and phone credit on arrival.
- 03
First fortnight (weeks 1–2)
Universal credit claim in and paid, GP registered, probation reporting on track, banking set up, first key-working session done.
- 04
Stabilise (weeks 3–4)
Routine established, health appointments booked, licence conditions embedded, first house-meeting done.
- 05
Structured programme (weeks 5–8)
Life-skills sessions, work and training exploration, wellbeing and relationships work. Support plan reviewed at week six.
- 06
Preparing for what's next (weeks 9–12)
Move-on options explored: independent tenancy, supported housing, work placement. Aftercare plan agreed.
- 07
Aftercare (months 4+)
Monthly check-ins, help with any tenancy or licence wobbles and an open door to reach back in whenever needed.
Standards we hold ourselves to
Non-negotiables for anyone leaving custody into our care.
- Keys and bed on release day — no exceptions
- Small caseloads (max 12) per resettlement worker
- Trauma-informed and psychologically informed practice
- Named probation contact for every case
- 24/7 safeguarding lead on call
- Weekly multi-agency review of high-risk cases
- Learning review after every recall or eviction
- Independent advocacy access as standard
The impact we see
Resettlement outcomes measured across the twelve-month cohort — not just the first night.
- of accepted referrals housed on release day
- 100%
- still housed at 12 months post-release
- 72%
- reduction in recall vs. cohort baseline
- 58%
- in work, training or volunteering at week 12
- 64%
Frequently asked questions
Can’t find your question? Our team is happy to talk it through.
Related services
All services →Supported Accommodation
Longer-term shared housing with structured key-working — a common next step after resettlement.
Learn moreOpportunities Pathway
Intensive, long-term support for people with severe and multiple disadvantage alongside their release plan.
Learn moreTemporary Accommodation
Self-contained emergency housing commissioned by local authorities.
Learn moreRelease date coming up?
Refer now and we'll plan in-reach, sort benefits and ID and have keys ready on the day.