prisoners’ education trust and our work in welsh prisons · 2019-11-07 · @prisonersed pet has...
TRANSCRIPT
Ha ha!!@PrisonersEd
www.prisonerseducation.org.uk
Prisoners’ Education Trust and our work in Welsh prisons
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Transforming lives
through education
@PrisonersEd
• “For me education means knowledge, credibility, opportunity and most of all hope. When you’re in an old Victorian prison locked away for 24 hours a day with a thousand other prisoners, what you need is hope. Education provides that hope.”
Chris Syrus BEM and PET Alumnus
Clare Lloyd, Iva Gray, Curtis Griffin, Andrew Price and Karl Richer
@PrisonersEd
PET has 30 years’ experience funding distance learning courses and related
support for people in prison.
In 2018 we funded 2,381 courses and materials, and since our foundation we
have funded almost 42,000.
As such we have extensive experience of delivering an effective intervention in
the prison environment.
@PrisonersEd
Achieve the same qualifications that they would in school, college or
beyond
• Choose from a wide range of subjects and levels
• Get sent course materials and get feedback from a personal tutor by post
• Study independently, at their own pace and in their own space
• Take their course with them if they’re transferred to another prison
• We also offer information, advice and guidance to people in prison.
@PrisonersEd
This pilot project was set up to put into practice some new initiatives
suggested by consultations with PET learners and alumni, and to explore
ways to enrich and increase the impact of our distance learning courses.
PET hoped that the pilot project would explore ways to improve and
increase the impact of distance learning
@PrisonersEd
The projects achievements have been phenomenal since the start of the project in December 2015
• 668 Grants approved for distance learning courses,
• 992 Information Advice and Guidance sessions have been delivered
• and the project team have visited Welsh prisons on 222 occasions
• Bringing those working in education together, whether in prison or in the community
@PrisonersEd
“I’m really happy for the opportunity to expand my knowledge in the subject I truly love - thank you”
A Welsh student studying a certificate in gym instructing
Ha ha!!@PrisonersEd
www.prisonerseducation.org.uk
Thanks for listening
Transforming lives
through education
© Census Life 2019
Employability & Skills Wales Convention 2019
© Census Life 2019
Census Life is a social enterprise, part of Census Group, that enables people involved in the criminal justice system to flourish.
As one of the largest employers of people in prison, we create and operate contact centres in 13 prisons across England and Wales.
Our vision is that every person should have the opportunity to create a better future for themselves.
© Census Life 2019
• Census Group was founded in 2013 by Ian and Kelly Carrel, following their respective careers working in large scale in-house and outsourced contact centre operations in the UK and overseas.
• Whilst leading a business turnaround programme, they witnessed first-hand the impact of the ‘blanket’ approach to Criminal Record Bureau processes at a large BPO operation in Glasgow.
• As a direct result of the introduction of a CRB checking process (both retrospective and for all future recruitment), one specific campaign lost 70% of the team overnight – resulting in more than 75 job losses.
• This specific campaign, which had historically and consistently delivered >130% of targets across the board, ultimately reduced in operational performance by 80% and was subsequently terminated by the Client.
• This experience highlighted the enormous impact that an adverse CRB (now DBS) had on an individual, their families and even wider into our communities.
• We saw an opportunity to tap into the talent that this cohort of individuals undoubtedly demonstrated, whilst contributing positively to society at the same time.
Our story
© Census Life 2019
• Census Life was launched to provide opportunities designed to deliver sustainable, social and economic integration.
• We do this through the effective delivery of our in-custody work programme, specifically focused on contact centre activity, providing employees with a real-life commercial environment, working for real customers, where they meet and often exceed targets.
• Over the past 6 years we have provided employment and training to over 7,000 people in prison and have helped over 300 find employment on release, either as part of our home worker network or with our partners.
• Today, we are working with and training 300 men and women across 13 prisons across England and Wales.
• We are working with major multi-national organisations to access our BPO provision from ‘behind the walls’ with a clear route to employing those individuals on release.
• A key USP is that we are able to help our customers avoid the very expensive training and recruitment cycle – we have team members who can contribute to their business from day one.
• We don’t just say it, we do it - we lead by example with over 90% of our employees having a previous criminal conviction.
What we do
© Census Life 2019
• More than 11m people in the UK have a previous criminal conviction – 16% of the population!
• 84,000 people are serving a prison sentence today, a rise of 50% in the last 25 years.
• The total economic and social cost of reoffending is £18bn per year.
• Evidence suggests that a person who has a job and somewhere to live upon release from prison, will be 5 times less likely to re-offend.
• Undoubtedly, employers are already working with individuals with a criminal conviction and many do not even know.
• Incarceration affects not only the individual but their families, especially children, and their ability to re-integrate into society is specifically impacted by their capacity to earn a living and provide for their family.
• Behind every conviction there is a story, each individual has their own route into the Criminal Justice System and yet the standard employer will not or does not have the resources to look at each case on an unique basis.
Criminal Justice System
© Census Life 2019
Nicola’s story
© Census Life 2019
• Too many employers are focused on what individuals have done in the past rather than how they can contribute to their businesses moving forward.
• When you invest in those from disadvantaged groups, they repay you with fierce loyalty and they go the extra mile to deliver great work for your business.
• From our experience we’ve seen increased retention rates and a reduction in training and HR costs.
• It’s not the easy route, it takes time and patience and it is very important to build links with those agencies that are there to support employers.
• Our partners benefit from our ability to provide well trained and committed team members, that supports a reduction in attrition rates and an uplift in employee satisfaction results.
• Our colleagues now contribute to the economy through PAYE employment, they have a sense of self-worth and become a part of society rather than being on the outside looking in.
What we have learned
© Census Life 2019
• Finding the right employees is hard, costly and time consuming.
• It makes economic sense - given it costs £39,000 per year to keep someone in prison, our programme of work contributes significantly to the taxpayer.
• For every person that is sent to prison, the impact is felt by 50 people around them. This includes, most importantly, children of prisoners and family members.
• By providing meaningful training and work experience for this group of individuals, and then supporting them into employment, we provide them with the best opportunity to really change their lives.
• As a society we should want people to move away from a life of crime, which results in fewer victims and safer communities.
• It benefits every single one of us.
Why would you?
© Census Life 2019
• Out of 84,000 people in prison, there are only 62 that will never be released.
• We employ people on merit, on the basis they have the skills and attitude to do a great job… and it works.
• We want other employers to think outside the box, look beyond the stereotypes and give someone an opportunity.
• We urge you to ‘break the mould’ with your recruitment practices.
Final thoughts
