Progression Model Resource Library

On the 1st October 2026, the UK Government’s Prisoner Early Release Scheme (the Progression Model) will begin. This means that some prisoners will be released earlier than their original release date. The rest of the sentence will be served outside of prison, with supervision and monitoring. Those that will be released from prison include domestic abuse perpetrators however this will not apply to all offenders and a list of exclusions can be found here: Sentencing Act 2026 offence exclusions – GOV.UK.

SignHealth have also published a video which explains this scheme in British Sign Language: Early Release Scheme 2026: What it means for deaf people – SignHealth.

Those that have signed up to the Victim Contact Scheme should be contacted to receive information on the potential early release. You can find more information about the contact scheme here: Information about the Victim Contact Scheme – GOV.UK.

 

Welsh Women’s Aid Statement on the Early Release of Prisoners

Resources

Future Me

Future Me is a facilitated online peer support programme for children and young people aged 8-17 who may be experiencing uncertainty, worry or mixed emotions following changes to prison release arrangements. The Future Me programme is run by Victim Support. Referrals can be made by calling Victim Support’s Offender Release Helpline on 0808 168 9280 and choosing option 2.

Community Services Support Fund

There is now a new element of the response package for survivors of violence against women and girls (VAWG) who are affected by changes to prisoner release dates under the progression model.

We have previously updated you on the launch of our VAWG hub for England which provides support for professional’s and takes referrals from the dedicated Victim Support Offender Release Helpline, this went live on Thursday 1 October.  In Wales referrals from Victim Support go to the Welsh Governments Live Fear Free helpline (and onwards to specialist support services as previously updated).

What is the Community Services Support Fund (CSSF)?

We know that many survivors will choose to seek help from local specialist organisations they already know and trust. Women’s Aid Federation England will therefore administer a Community Services Support Fund (CSSF) to help specialist VAWG organisations meet additional demand arising from the Progression Model.

Grants will be available of £400 for every eligible organisation that is supporting an eligible survivor. There is no limit to the number of eligible survivors an organisation can claim for, the £400 is per survivor supported.

What can the funding be used for? 

The £400 grant is a contribution towards the cost of providing specialist support to adult and child survivors.

This can include:

  • needs assessments;
  • safety planning;
  • emotional support;
  • targeted advocacy; and
  • safeguarding support.

The fund cannot be used for capital or longer-term costs, including target hardening, sanctuary schemes, formal therapy, moving costs or accommodation.

We appreciate that £400 is only a contribution to the cost of supporting a survivor and we have agreed to review the fund in December.  Dependant on demand we may be able to increase the amount and this will be backdated for any earlier applications.

Eligibility criteria 

The fund is available to community-based specialist VAWG organisations in the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector across England and Wales, including VCSE organisations that provide a dedicated specialist VAWG service. Generic services without dedicated specialist VAWG provision are not eligible for the fund.

Some services may have received recent surge funding from their local Police and Crime Commissioner to support victims impacted by the progression model. These services are able to apply for the Community Services Support Fund (CSSF), but the activities funded through the CSSF must not duplicate the PCC funded activities. The CCSF funding must therefore be used for distinct activities to support victims affected by the progression model.

Who is eligible for support? 

A survivor is eligible for support through this response package if all three of the following apply:

  1. They have experienced violence against women and girls (VAWG). This can include women, men, children and young people who have experienced VAWG
  2. They are affected by the release of an offender whose custodial release date has been brought forward under the Progression Model.
  3. They feel, or anticipate, an impact on their safety, emotional wellbeing or day-to-day stability as a result.

The funds will open on a monthly basis from October 2026.

  • The Community Services Support Fund will open for applications on Thursday 22nd October at 10 am.  Thereafter, it will open on the third Thursday of each month at 10am  with the exception of December which will be brought forward to the second Thursday.
  • Applications will remain open until a sufficient number of submissions have been received to allocate the available funding for that month.

Application process 

To apply, eligible referring organisations must first register for an account on our application platform, SurveyMonkey Apply using their work email address. To register, please contact our team at [email protected] to request the links. Please note that accounts must not be created using a survivor’s name or email address, as only referring organisations can be account holders.  You will need an account for everyone in your organisation who will be submitting grant applications.

Once registered, you’ll be able to submit applications during the designated opening times.

The application form takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and consists of a short series of questions about the referring organisation, demographic information about the survivor (for monitoring purposes), and their eligibility for the fund.

We aim to process applications within five working days, after which you will be notified of the outcome by email.

If your application is successful, the approval email will include further instructions on invoicing and reimbursement.

Application review 

Applications are reviewed in the order they are submitted. Where applications meet the eligibility criteria, the organisation is eligible, and funding is available, funds are allocated accordingly.

Every referral received represents a significant need. To ensure fairness, applications are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

All of this information is available at www.womensaid.org.uk

You can contact the community service support fund team here: [email protected]

For support

Anyone experiencing violence against women, domestic abuse or sexual violence, or abuse, or those concerned about somebody at risk – support is available to you now.

The Live Fear Free Helpline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for women, children and men experiencing domestic abuse, sexual violence or other forms of violence against women.

live fear free logo with helpline number: 0808 80 10 800