Case Study

Darryn finds a home at Ingeus

21 Jul. 2026

This content contains references to addiction, homelessness, and attempted suicide. 

Darryn’s determination to be a better role model for his daughter than he had growing up is a driving force in his rehabilitation. Overcoming more than 20 years of drug and alcohol addiction, homelessness and time in prison, is, says Darryn “making my wee girl proud”. It is also having a positive impact on the many men on probation he voluntarily supports as an Ingeus peer mentor with the South-Central justice accommodation team.  

Darryn, now 36, mainly grew up with his father in Scotland, surrounded by drugs and violence. Living with ADHD, he was expelled from school and received numerous community sentences and prison terms for his drunken and violent behaviour. Working in construction increased his dependence on prescription painkillers to manage rheumatoid arthritis and following the breakdown of a relationship, Darryn reached his lowest point—experiencing homelessness, attempting suicide, and ultimately returning to prison. 

Now living in Berkshire but with no home to go to on his release, Darryn’s substance misuse worker enlisted help from the Ingeus accommodation team to secure him a room in a local Integrated Offender Management House. It was a turning point for Darryn who, with a secure base and help to access benefits, fully engaged with his probation and promptly sourced his own flat. Seeing Darryn’s progress, he was recommended to the Ingeus Peer Mentor Academy – a structured training and volunteering programme for people with lived experience of the criminal justice system to support others on probation. 

“I’d volunteered as a listener in prison – someone the lads could speak to in confidence – and really enjoyed helping other people,” says Darryn, who successfully completed his training and has been an Ingeus peer mentor since 2025. “I work alongside the Ingeus staff, running accommodation workshops for people with similar pasts to me. I share my story, my struggles with homelessness and addiction, and people can connect – they trust me because they know I get what they’re going through. 

“We do anything we can to help – accessing benefits, arranging property viewings, being there to share the load and avoid that revolving door of reoffending. I remember it all too well and want to give hope to people in the same situation.”  

Now sober for 15 months and having sourced an alternative flat, Darryn lives near his mum and now-seven year old daughter, who he looks after on alternate weekends. They’ve just had their first family holiday – a trip to Blackpool – and Darryn’s intent on continuing his good work:    

“I’m really enjoying the ongoing Ingeus training,” he adds. “I’ve been to Manchester and Birmingham for courses and learnt about housing benefits and legislation. My aims are simple – to stay sober, make my wee girl proud, and keep helping others. If I can fit in the odd spot of fishing too, even better.”