Offenders and Employers: learning from ESF in England

Context

•Offender employment always part of ESF’s remit to target distinct, problematic groups and complement ‘blunt’ mainstream programmes

•Historically primarily focused on ‘ex’ offenders alongside others, although with a small amount of pilot work with offenders nearing release or on community sentences

•2007-2013 significant change in gear from creation of National Offender Management Service (NOMS) programme, targeted directly at offenders

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Employment is key

Consensus that secure and regular employment is a necessary – although by no means sufficient – element in rehabilitation and avoiding reoffending

Extensive supply side experience exists with demonstrable achievements in ‘stepping stones’, intermediate or ‘softer’ outcomes, and tackling wider issues

But demand side can be a lot tougher – particularly now

ESF in England demonstrates a number of different approaches – relevant to ‘rehabilitation revolution’

Two questions for this session

What are the biggest unsolved demand side problems in getting offenders into 'proper' jobs?

My top tips or tools for working effectively with employers and getting sustained job outcome are....

Please write down your answers now on the post-it notes

ESF projects deal with similar demand side issues

Employer reluctance, preconceptions and inexperience

Blunt and inflexible policies and practices

Demand for specific skills

Expectation of work ‘habits’ and basic competencies

Oversupplied labour market without the ‘baggage’

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Four different models in this presentation

Commercial employment agency

Social enterprise

Small scale experience

Self employment

All working directly with offenders ‘by definition’

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Pertemps: large employment agency, contracted to delivery offender development, and to broker jobs with local employers

Use existing infrastructure, staff, models, modified where needed

Different pitches to employers: larger companies, piggy-back on ‘routeways’, and appeal to CSR; smaller firms offer to reduce costs of recruitment

Strong emphasis on ‘suitability’ and responsive aftercare

•‘Recycling lives’: Social enterprise and charity spun off from successful waste management business

• Joint selection with probation for training and employment ‘testing’ , accommodation

•Clever business model: commercial and ‘social’ operate separately but symbiotically

•Provides steady stream of tested ‘rough lads’ ready for hard work; advantages in expansion (planning, procurement); opportunities to build out recycling supply chain through linked micro businesses; profile and PR

•At same time as creating genuine, sustainable and progressive employment; powerful and challenging experience; additional supportive infrastructure

•More on the ESF contract behind this in workshop session 8 (Achieve North West)

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•‘’Bound Back’ refurbishment company, set up by entrepreneur already working in prison to offer design training – recognised limited employment scope there, but opportunities at more practical level

• BB employs small core team sourcing small scale refurb contracts made available to offenders who participated in ‘PIANO’ pre release and employability programme – not long term jobs, but real employment for genuine clients. Both employment and self employment destinations

•Careful client handling: awareness, quality and security guarantees, team based

• Plus tailored support programme aimed at enabling individual participation

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Advantage 42: entrepreneurial and business development and mentoring for self employment, applied to pre release and community offenders – a way to circumvent barriers to direct employment

Programme to identify and nurture viable ideas, with strong reality checks, and benefits for those unlikely to succeed – drawn out through group work

Substantial aftercare and networking

Two questions for this session

What are the biggest unsolved demand side problems getting offenders into 'proper' jobs?

My top tips or tools for working effectively with employers and getting sustained job outcome are....

Anything to add, prompted by these ESF examples?

Thank you for listening

www.esf-works.com

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