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IMPACT Asset - Innovation Means Prisons And Communities Together

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Partnership information

Description

Asset image 1Background

 

The IMPACT Asset project has been continuing the innovative work commenced in Round 1 of EQUAL funding. In Round 2, the DP has been focusing on three distinct target groups identified as being doubly disadvantaged in respect to employment:- young males aged 16-21yrs, women and men aged 50yrs and over.  There is a significantly higher rate of unemployment amongst these three offender

groups than in the normal UK population. This represents a significant degree of economicinactivity (55% of ex offenders are economically inactive). 

 

Aims

 

Asset aims to give these disadvantaged target groups equal opportunities to sustainable employment  by combating the barriers to employment after custody that these groups experience. Working with a range of statutory, voluntary and private sector partners, the Asset initiative has established a range of Action Research objectives to trial the best methods of supporting resettlement for these target groups.

Objectives

Research

Working with Liverpool Hope University to produce reports detailing the key barriers faced by female ex-offenders to successful resettlement. This target group experience some very different barriers to male ex-offenders and benefit from a different approach to the resettlement process 

Holistic Approach to case management

Establishing a Case Management model working in custodial settings. Through a multi-agency approach it addresses the holistic needs of the individual offender. The model reviews the effectiveness of current assessment methods, as well as engaging offender managers, employment, education and family links workers in the process.

Resiliance and skills development

Developing a bespoke cognitive skills training course that uses thinking and problem-solving skills to address barriers to employment and sustaining work. Developing work trials and mentors for offenders in custody in open prisons. Release on Temporary Licence (RoTL) arrangements allows prisoners nearing the end of their sentence to return to the world of work in a gradual and supported way. This builds skills, self-esteem and increases the chances of gaining employment on release. 

Mentoring

Trialling an innovative peer mentoring initiative with male and female ex-offenders experiencing mental health issues. Ex-offenders who have some stability in dealing with their own mental health have been trained to support others that are less well. Extraordinary success has been noted in the initial pilots.  

Recording and learning attainment

Using Portfolios of Achievement, the formal and informal learning, behaviour and work of ex-offenders while they are in custody is fully recorded.  

 
Employer engagement

Establishing a database of regional employers who are willing to support ex-offenders back into work, and building links to promote opportunities for BME ex-offenders and developing strategies and training packages to engage more employers, by challenging stereotypical views and addressing their concerns.

Target Groups

  • Young males aged 16-21yrs
  • Women
  • Men aged 50yrs and over

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Presentation

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Round

2

Round 1 to Round 2

HM Prison Service Northwest Area was the lead partner in the Round One IMPACT DP.  The Round One work had a much more limited scope of primarily male offenders. Round Two expands this to other recognised offender groups with their own unique needs and difficulties.

Lead partner

HM Prison Service
www.hmprisonservice.gov.uk

Core partners

Age Concern, Anderton Concrete, BME Regional Network - North West, Business in the Community, CBI, Cheshire Fire Service, CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel Development), City College, Manchester, Connexions, Dri, Job Centre Plus, Liverpool Hope University, Mentoring 2000, National Probation Service, POPS (Partners of Prisoners), SOVA Head Office London, SOVA Sheffield Office, TUC, YMCA

Contact

Shelley Lockett, HM Prison Service, , Sheila Pickering, HM Prison Service,

End-dates

Action 2: 31 March 2008
Action 3: 31 March 2008

Equal theme

Facilitating access

Origins

For the last eight years, HM Prison Service, Northwest Area, has worked in partnership with other organisations from the statutory, voluntary and private sectors to enhance its offender employment delivery and lead on much of its resettlement research.

IMPACT is a research project that explores innovative ways of resettling offenders back into the community, by enhancing their chances of gaining and sustaining employment. IMPACT works in the community and in secure establishments in the North West.

Beneficiaries

Ex-offenders, Other, People over 50

Intended impact/ sustainability

The project aims to prove that a multi-agency case management approach coupled with a holistic delivery model is key to placing target group on equal footing with regard to economic reintegration. Reach and sustainability will come from two key attributes of the partnership 1. Engaging voluntary sector to deliver key resettlement objectives 2. Building links with employers will have the long term benefit of combating discrimination of beneficiary target group.

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Connections

Connections

Activities and products

Activity
Asset Identify assessment tools and interventions required to upskill and empower target groups to enter the labour market.
Activity
NEW HORIZONS The trans-national partnership comprises of seven DPs from across the EU. NEW HORIZONS is a transnational partnership
Activity
ASSESSMENT TOOLTo review the effectiveness of both HARP (Holistic Assessment of Re-integration and progression) and ISI (Ideal Skills Inventory) assessment tools and explore other options that can be used to enhance the Case management model and ensure that we produce an assessment method tailored to the specific requirements of the three target groups.
Print
Careers GuidanceDevelop bespoke careers guidance framework for target groups, with subsequent framework presented to Learning and skills Council.
Print
Cognitiv skills in the WorkplaceThis objective will build on the products developed in the first round of IMPACT.
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Peer MentoringExplore the effectiveness of the peer mentoring programme, originally trialed with male offenders with mental health issues, with women offenders.
Activity
Restorative JusticeTo build positive links with the community to ensure that appropriate support networks are in place to better enable ex-offenders to sustain high levels of motivation; positive thinking, education, training and employment.
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Strategy PlanFollowing on from the 'Survey of Employers and ETE providers' objective, IMPACT will use the survey findings to inform a strategy plan to engage positively with employers to develop actual employment routes for ex-offenders.
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Survey of Employers and ETE providersSurveying employers and ETE providers in the North West region to ascertain from them what are the skills gaps in their sectors, do they consider employing offenders and if not why not.
Activity
Training for Trainers/ Motivational ToolkitTo design a short Motivational programme for staff working with offenders across a number of establishments in the North West.
Meeting/congress
Transferability of holistic model, cognitive skills modles and peer mentoring methodologyAssessment of transferability to other disadvantaged groups through strategic networking and partnership with other Equal Development partners.
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Unit 5The High Intensity training (HIT) Unit at HMYOI Thorn Cross is a programme designed to reduce rates of re-offending and harm in young offenders with a medium-high risk of reconviction.
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Unit 6HMYOI Thorn Cross' Unit 6 is a completely new initiative, not tried previously within England's Juvenile Justice system.