Through the Gates services

Through the Gates provides high-level support to clients on the day of release and in the days following, helping with practical issues such as housing and income.

Clients can be met at the prison gate and escorted to accommodation which may have been set up for them prior to release.  If the client is homeless, arrangements are made for emergency accommodation whilst a longer term solution is found.  This may be in local authority housing or private rented accommodation through an increasing partnership St Giles is developing with private landlords.

Follow up support helps with issues such as claiming benefits, liaising with probation and substance misuse services, and linking into longer-term support services helping with employment and training.

We can meet prison leavers from across the country who are returning to the 14 London boroughs in which we are commissioned to provide the service.  Currently, these are: Haringey, Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Hackney, Islington, Camden, Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lambeth, Lewisham, Greenwich, Bexley, Bromley and Croydon.

This is a busy, important service which provides practical support in the crucial early days after release when the risk of re-offending is high if basics such as somewhere to live and income are not in place.

Private Rented Sector

We are developing an increasing network of private landlords in London who are willing to rent accommodation for our clients. We can arrange for rent to be paid directly to the landlord and support both the landlord and the client.  We rely on the private rented sector to provide essential accommodation to support our clients during the difficult transition from prison to community. If you are a private landlord who is interested in sourcing tenants through St Giles Trust, please call us on 020 7703 7000.