The new Brighter Pathways programme supports offenders in the last 18 months of their sentence, helping them to find and retain employment and secure affordable accommodation.
The project has been launched following a successful pilot with HMP Ford in West Sussex.
Adults released from custodial sentences of less than between July to September 2017 had a proven reoffending rate of 62.2% over a 12 month follow-up period. But at HMP Ford, their reoffending rate is 9% due to the rehabilitation services and work programmes that are available in the area.
The New Futures Network, a specialist part of the prison service responsible for brokering relationships between businesses and prisons, supported the partnership between Wates Residential and One Way with HMP Ford. The prison identified a possible candidate for a job on Wates Residential's site in Shoreham as a Gateman and Vehicle and Machinery Traffic Marshall.
Mo was relocated to HMP Ford's open prison in West Sussex just over a year ago. He applied for a job and after an impressive interview, started work in April 2019. He was the first individual to secure work through this pioneering programme.
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Before beginning on site, Mo completed checks with the local authority and probation service, in addition to health and safety checks, a fit to travel medical and a number of risk assessments.
A typical day for Mo involves an early start, as he is in charge of managing the main entrance gate to the site and directing site vehicles to their stations. Mo hadn't originally considered a career in construction, but since working on the site, he has gone from strength to strength and has been upskilled to a Plant Machinery Marshall.
Since being released from prison, Mo has now been offered a permanent position as a Gateman for the Shoreham site and thinks he has found a "vocation for life". He now hopes to use this employment as a platform to gain further experience and qualification in trades such as drylining and brickwork.
Commenting on the programme, Mo said: "I can't believe I have been given this fantastic opportunity with Wates Residential and One Way. The day I was told that I had been successful, I just kept smiling. I have been given a second chance to turn my life around and this opportunity will really help me to get my life back on track so that I can make my mum proud of me again.
"I feel lucky to have two companies believe in me enough to give me another chance and to invest in training me. I am excited for my future, working in construction and staying out of prison."
The wider Wates Group is now considering rolling out the scheme across more sites in London and the south.
Paul Nicholls, Managing Director for Wates Residential, added: "Everyone deserves a second chance and the Brighter Futures programme offers a real opportunity for ex-offenders to access sustainable training employment opportunities to support their rehabilitation back into the community and set them up for the future. It also makes real business sense to recruit from a wider talent pool if we are to remain fit for the future and address the industry's widening skills gap."
(CM/JG)
