Prison Help! Post-release employment support
- Steve Newell - Prison Help!
- Nov 24, 2015
- 3 min read
Prison Help! confronts re-offending at its roots by providing ground-breaking, yet practical solutions that offers both employment and business advice to ex-offenders.
James, an ex-offender said: “I had a previous record as an ex-offender. Prison Help! were able to show that my skills and experience could shine through. (They) helped me to find an opportunity to work as a sub-contractor for a recruitment business.”
With neither money nor prospects after leaving prison, some ex-offenders are left with little choice but to re-offend. However, many have marketable skills – and business aspirations – that they could use to rebuild their careers after prison.
This is why Prison Help's parent company UKSSAC has introduced the “Careers Life” platform, a state of the art, employability, personal development, CV building, and E-learning programme that delivers astonishing benefits for its users. The portal helps ex-offenders to get ‘work ready’ by reducing the difficulties associated with creating CVs, shining at interviews, and understanding aptitude tests. It also gives them access to professional advice in different professions including marketing, advertising, business, sales et al.
Alwin was an early advocate of Prison Help's rehabilitation programme: “I came from a drugs gang. I am still in a gang, but with a difference – now I lead a gang of ten workers drilling tunnels beneath London for Crossrail.”
Firms such as Halfords, Hilton Hotels, Land Securities, Morgan Sindall and Barclays already have strong relationships with Prison Help!, and have thus created a more reliable mechanism for placing ex-offenders like Alwin and James back into long-term, sustainable employment.
Other than finding employment for ex-offenders, Prison Help also helps them to start new businesses through “Seize the Day”, their entrepreneurial skills programme.
Sethi, an early graduate said recently: “Being in this situation can leave you helpless and disappointed. (“Seize the Day”) has helped to fill in gaps and connects you to aspects of business you need.
“I have learnt so much and would not have known what I needed to do if it wasn’t for this programme.” He added: “It reaffirmed my desire to develop my business. Even before I left prison, I was already working with Prison Help to develop a business plan to help me start my own business. With my new business, I want to run a ‘pop up’ stall selling great quality coffee as well as cakes and biscuits.”
As part of their multi – faceted approach, Prison Help! also aims to educate employers about Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by highlighting the benefits of hiring low risk ex-offenders. This is achieved by running CSR courses for companies – and their employees – who want to fulfil their obligations under CSR.
What makes the Prison Help unique in tackling re-offending is the personal experiences its management had of the criminal justice system. Between January 2013 and January 2014 – Steve Newell (Prison Helps Managing Director and founder) – found jobs for over 200 serving prisoners, whilst serving a sentences himself at HMP Brixton.
This, combined with our skills – developed through extensive and successful business careers – has contributed to a desire to develop a suite of practical services like the “Careers Life” tailored to the needs of the low-risk prison population.
Prison Help! is owned and operated by UK Social Support and Careers Limited. It is a social enterprise founded in 2015 by Steve Newell, Managing Director.. It has a highly experienced management team that aims to deliver realistic and reliable services to all levels of UK business. Our parent company – UK Social Support & Careers (UKSSAC) – supports all aspects of training, development and ongoing support for people returning to work following unemployment. It is also a one-stop solutions provider to corporate businesses on Corporate Social Responsibility, employee readiness training, workforce development and specialist professional prison consultancy services.
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