Hilary: The importance of support on release.

Hilary was released from prison on Home Detention Curfew (HDC) - more commonly referred to as being ‘on tag’. She had been serving a three-year sentence for a fraudulent offence and her original liberation date was a few months away but her HDC was processed quickly, and her release was quicker than expected. Fortunately, I was available that day to collect her.

As a woman in her early sixties, she was coming out to a housing association tenancy which she had had for a number of years and for which a group of three friends had paid the rent whilst Hilary was in custody. This is not a normal occurrence, but it meant that her tenancy remained secure for her.

Hilary faces several health challenges, some of which had worsened whilst she was in prison. We confirmed she was still registered with her local GP and made appropriate appointments.

I have worked with Hilary before, and her level of engagement has always been high.

Hilary had met with Job Centre Plus when in custody and a claim had been built for her so that all she had to do was to attend the local Job Centre to finalise her claim. As she has notable mobility problems, I had stayed with her and took her to the appointment later on the day of her release.

Also, on that day, I accompanied her to see a social worker from whom she has accepted voluntary throughcare support and I was able to chat with the SW in relation to what support was going to be offered by whom.

I left her at her property awaiting GEOAmey’s arrival to fit her tag.

It had been agreed at referral that I would provide Hilary with a phone which had six month’s contract free to her on it. This provides invaluable for the supported person to keep in touch with support workers and other service providers.

After the day of liberation we kept regular phone contact.

During one call, Hilary told me that she was having difficulty getting a GP appointment in order to get a fit note for her Personal Independence Payment (PIP). As is too often the case, all the appointments would be taken by the time she got through. I suggested that rather than ask for an appointment, to ask for a call back from a doctor. When I went to visit her next, she had done this, and the doctor had left a fit note for her at the surgery reception and had also issued her with a prescription for a month’s worth of the various medications she needed. When she had been released, she had been put on ‘daily dispense’ for her medication which is a common protective element for those with substance addiction issues but was not appropriate for Hilary due to her mobility so on the same visit, we were able to take her to the surgery to collect the fit note and the pharmacy to collect her prescription.

On the same visit, we also took her to the local supermarket where she was able to do a shop that would last her for a while.

On this visit, she also showed me various appointment that she had been sent. Again, travel to these can be tricky as Hilary lives in a rural town and the appointments are in the city and whilst she does now have a bus pass, actually negotiating the hospital site can be challenging so it has been agreed that I will be taking her to one of these appointments and with regard to another, which is for breast screening, I advised that she called up and requested that this be done more locally at one of the mobile clinics. Hopefully this will be arranged for her.

“I just wanted to say thank you for today. I appreciate you helping me out. I would not have gotten everything done so quickly without you driving me to pick everything up.”