Turning Point Scotland are saddened to confirm the closure of 218 service.

For 20 years, 218 delivered a significant service providing options to improve the outcomes for women involved in the justice system and to address the root causes of their offending.  The 218 service worked with approximately 50 women a year.

Turning Point Scotland participated in a desktop review of the 218 service in 2023 with Glasgow City HSPC and an agreed service specification with a budget for the service.  Following this review, an ‘accommodation with support- female residential service’ tender was released with an approximate 50% cut.

Turning Point Scotland took the difficult decision to not bid for the tender as the residential provision as configured could not be delivered to run the service with a clinical care element at this amount.

Staff within the service were supported alongside Unite the Union through consultation to identify individual options for suitable redeployment to enable the organisation to retain the knowledge, skills and experience of valuable staff.

Nic Middlemiss, Head of Justice says, “We believe that 218 offered a comprehensive programme of support, as an alternative to a custodial sentence. The service aimed to address the root causes of women’s offending, by offering a therapeutic, trauma-informed programme for women to actively engage in their own personal recovery journey. The loss of this service is likely to lead to more women in custody and trapped within the justice system.”

Image: Drawing of 218 service building by a member of staff.