Because we know that release from prison can be a challenging time and that students will have many issues to deal with – including housing, employment and re-connecting with family - we provide specialist ‘Through the Gate’ (TTG) Information Advice and Guidance (IAG), advocacy and practical support to students. We offer proactive support to both the student and the university to ensure that the transition from distance learning to attending university in person is smooth and seamless. This includes bespoke training in digital literacy skills and advice about accommodation and funding. We also explore options for access to student accommodation on campus, subject to appropriate risk assessment and probation approval.

We have been there.

One of the key methods of support after release is the provision of a bespoke peer-led mentoring / buddy service for students, which we co-ordinate. This is delivered by volunteers who have all studied in prison themselves and who have successfully negotiated hurdles after release. We recruit and train these volunteers from our own student base, building up a network around the country. Students have already told us that this support is highly valued, and we have partnerships with other agencies which offer similar peer-led services to ensure that volunteers receive appropriate training themselves.
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We want you to succeed.

Our partner agency, Ex-seed Recruitment, offers specialist support to people with convictions and will work with students throughout their degrees to help them find routes into suitable employment.

Our support after release will focus primarily on successful completion of the qualification but we also track employment outcomes and seek to promote student success through sharing of case studies and research findings.