Impact Newsletter - November 2023

Issue No.26 / November 2023

The Big NCS Sleepover

What’s inside...

Page 2 New report evaluates impact of lived experience

Page 4 SAAS expo

It’s Big… it’s exciting… it’s an away from home experience like no other… it’s the Big NCS Sleepover!

On Friday 17th November, thousands of teens across England attended a unique three-day adventure delivered by Ingeus on behalf of the NCS Trust. The event was in celebration of Children In Need’s Positive Relationships Matter campaign.

The weekend was designed to support young people in making new connections, helping them build their confidence and learn new skills for work and life – as well as have some fun!

Adrenaline filled activities were waiting to greet young people on arrival to test their nerves. Over the course of the weekend young people could enjoy a

Issue no.26 / November 2023

variety of activities including silent discos, firebreathers, inflatables, campfires, DJ sets and of course large screenings of the Children in Need broadcast.

The weekend was spent making new friends, building the teens’ confidence and communication skills, and having fun!

Visit wearencs.com to find out more about NCS and sign-up for the next away from home experience.

If I had to describe Big Sleepover in three words it would probably be fantastic, brilliant and spectacular.

Nabil, 16

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Page 7 Natalie’s NCS adventure

Page 8 Setting new trends with a second career

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New report evaluates impact of lived experience The latest evaluation report examines how we have worked with people with lived experience of the criminal justice system, delivering support to them through activities such as peer mentoring and volunteering, and enabling them to successfully find paid work with employers within the social justice sector.

Ingeus commissioned independent expert, Russell Webster, to evaluate the impact of lived experience in its Justice services.

The report focuses on five key areas: an examination of our Justice division policy, practice and principles in relation to lived experience; a description of a range of lived experience activities we delivered in past and present programmes including as lead partner in the Reducing Reoffending Partnership, which supported more than 50,000 service users; an analysis of the outputs and outcomes of these activities; a consultation on the benefits

and challenges of a commitment to lived experience with Ingeus Justice staff; and giving a voice to people with lived experience themselves.

A wide body of evidence presents the opportunities and challenges for using lived experience and the new report looks at how a variety of initiatives we have introduced since 2010 have impacted people in the criminal justice system, most recently with programmes including Commissioned Rehabilitative Services, CFO3 and CFO Activity Hubs.

Read the full report by scanning the QR code.

Getting to know you...

Gerald Gad-Briggs

We asked Gerald to answer life’s essential ‘this or that’ questions: Summer or Winter?

This month we stopped to take a minute to find out more about Gerald and his role at Ingeus.

“The work I do is integral to the smooth operation of the legal function as I manage the inflow and outflow of work for the team. I oversee the contracts process, supporting lawyers and triaging and allocating legal requests. This includes the review and approvals process for legal documents the company needs.

I also work on continuous improvement for the legal team as part of Ingeus’ change programme. I’m admitted as a lawyer in Nigeria which helps with getting involved in other legal projects.

My work enables other teams and the whole organisation to comply with legal requirements and obligations and supports us to realise business development opportunities.”

Issue no.26 / November 2023

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Summer…although I do prefer winter fashion

Chocolate or sweets?

Chocolate

Night or morning?

Morning

City or countryside?

Dressed up or casual?

Dressed up

Phone calls or emails?

Emails

Books or films?

Films definitely

Both. I love the vibrancy of the city but I live in the countryside.

Night out or night in?

Cats or dogs?

Holidays…the further the destination the better!

Cats

Night in

Holidays or home comforts?

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Ingeus named in Foundry’s Computerworld 2024 Best Places to Work in IT

Ingeus has been named as one of Computerworld’s 2024 Best Places to Work in IT. Computerworld is a leading technology media brand which has ranked the top work environments for technology professionals since 1994.

Juliet Mortiss, Ingeus’ People and Culture Director, said:

Now in its 30th year, the list is compiled based on a comprehensive questionnaire on company offerings including benefits, career development, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), future of work, training and retention and is reviewed by a panel of industry experts.

Anthony Allcock, Chief Information Officer at Ingeus said:

“Our people are at the centre of everything we do and being recognised in Computerworld’s 2024 Best Places to Work in IT is testament to the collective commitment of our teams’ efforts in striving to create a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive and be their best.”

“The Ingeus Digital team are an integral part of Ingeus and it is a privilege for us to be a part of Computerworld’s 2024 Best Places to Work in IT. We are

Our people are at the centre of everything we do.

Issue no.26 / November 2023

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invested in creating an environment where everyone can be at their best, collaborate, share ideas and have opportunities to develop themselves.

Our new Innovation Hub helps empower our business and learn more about how new technology such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning can add real value to help us all enable better lives.”

Congratulations to everyone working hard to deliver our commitment to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive!

Visit our website to see the latest opportunities to join our team.

We are invested in creating an environment where everyone can be at their best.

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Our teams have their Mo’ment!

SAAS expo

November saw us attend the Schools and Academies Show (SAAS) 2023 at Birmingham’s NEC. Our team were there to share the amazing opportunities available to young people to help them develop new skills for life and work through our Youth services.

Funding over 1,250 health projects around the world, Movember is the leading charity making a difference for men’s health.

Signified by the famous Movember Mo’, individuals all over are growing out their moustaches to raise awareness and encourage discussions around men’s health. Covering topics of mental health and suicide prevention, to prostate and testicular cancer, Movember aims to get the nation talking.

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Our Mo Bros across the business have taken on a whole new look to raise money for this amazing cause.

Well done to our Employer Services Team raised over £1500! Jonathan Pilkington, Jonty Rooke, Chris Steels, Luke Charlton, Anthony Koustelos and Lee Cook are pictured above proudly showing their progress.

SAAS invites all those in the education sector to come together to connect, discuss ideas, explore latest sector developments, as well as learning about other organisations and what they deliver. Our team engaged in lively discussions and made valuable connections to help further opportunities for young people to progress.

Not to mention, Gareth Williams, Site Co-ordinator for the Restart Scheme, who recently took on the challenge of the 5k Mo’run at Heaton Park.

We’re proud of everyone’s efforts for Movember this year!

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Army life left me suicidal but now I’m helping others fight Warning: This article contains mentions of suicide, mental health illness, alcohol and drug abuse.

When he left the army, Craig Robbins found that the mental scars of life on the frontline in places like Bosnia and Northern Ireland were not so easily put in the closet as his old uniform.

He found a job offering close protection to celebrities, before realising he could use his military experience in a more useful way – to help others fight their own demons.

That was when he applied for the job of Personal Wellbeing Advisor with Ingeus, supporting people on probation, eventually helping them towards worthwhile employment.

He left the forces after 12 years with the Royal Greenjackets, during which time he rose to the rank of Corporal, responsible for the eight-man patrols he led.

He says: “I thought I could pass on some of my personal experience.

Having been in trouble with the law and struggled when I came out of the army, I have knowledge of what these people go through.”

He wanted to spend more time with his wife and two young children but, experiencing PTSD, he turned to drink and drugs to dull the memories of past conflicts, of friends lost and wounded.

He got into trouble with the law and seriously contemplated suicide.

“They were dark times; days and weeks when you felt your life was in a rut from which there was no escape,” he says. “Drink and drugs helped to numb the pain, and eventually I fought through it.”

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Forty-five-year-old Craig’s two years with Ingeus has also seen him take a leading role as an advocate for the qualities ex-service people can bring to many businesses. He says: “Reliability, strong leadership, great teamwork, fierce work ethic, an ability to think on their feet . . . and they are never late for meetings!”

Ingeus was already fully signed up to the value veterans bring to the business, with an Armed Forces Network to help them settle in

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once they join the business, as well as being signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant, which recognises veteran-friendly companies. Now Craig, who has volunteered to head up the network, is involved in a new recruitment campaign targeted at ex-forces people. He is also helping to produce a guide for Ingeus managers on what to expect when an ex-service person joins their team. It includes a wellbeing action plan and advice on the triggers that may bring back painful or horrific memories for veterans.

“It may sound silly but on bonfire night the sound of fireworks might affect people,” he says. “Remembrance Day and even Armed Forces Day can be a time when memories of mates lost in action resurface.”

“It’s not just for those who have served,” he says, “but their partners, children and families who may all have been affected by the loss or illness of a loved one or having to deal with long periods of separation. The support Ingeus gave me when I joined two years ago was just what I needed, it was superb.”

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Impellam Group’s Able Futures story ‘Virtuosity’ is defined as the quality of being extremely skilled at something; to perform exceptionally well.

It’s an attribute that the Impellam Group takes very seriously, building their culture of Virtuosity with the Virtuosos they employ across the world – 1,200 of them here in the UK. As the backbone of eight collaborative talent and workforce solution brands including Carbon60, Comensura, Guidant Global, SRG, and Lorien, the group freely acknowledges that their people are their greatest strength.

Their teams are specialists in their field, breaking down barriers to unleash people’s potential and harness the power of good work.

It’s unsurprising therefore that supporting their Virtuosos to perform at the top of their game in the demanding world of recruitment and talent solutions sits high in Impellam’s priorities.

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“Building trust and psychological safety is vital to being happy and healthy at work, and fostering good mental health is a huge part of that,” says Impellam’s HR Business Partner, Lisa Smith. “We look at every point of our employee lifecycle and build wellbeing support in throughout. We offer blended working, mental health first aiders, an employee assistance programme, fully flexible working policies and we host feedback surveys.

“Yet people’s mindsets changed massively during Covid and we realised that something deeper and further was required, more robust, and independent of our in-house offer. We’re all buffeted by organisational, personal and world events at times and that’s where Able Futures comes in.”

Able Futures delivers the Department for Work and Pensions’ Access to Work Mental Health Support Service and it provides free mental health support to anyone in work. It also offers advice and resources for employers, again with no charge.

“We invited Angela from Able Futures to detail the service to our managers in November 2022 and the response was phenomenal,” Lisa recalls. “More than 60 managers attended the first virtual session and the feedback was fantastic – from relief at having a trusted partner to signpost staff members to, to positive surprise at the longevity of support offered and collateral provided.

I remember one colleague saying how thought provoking it was and that they’d even gained some helpful tips to take home and share with family members.”

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With Angela’s support, the service was subsequently rolled out across Impellam’s eight UK brands, promoted to direct staff members and agency workers in early 2023.

“Able Futures is simply easy to work with. They have in-depth knowledge of mental health issues both in and out of the workplace and their advice and materials are well considered.”

The service offers nine months of individual support from an Able Futures Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant.

Entirely confidential, participants are given practical tools, advice and encouragement to tackle common mental health issues including anxiety, stress and depression.

Lisa rates the “extremely helpful collateral” available, including an employer toolkit, promotional items, and backdated virtual sessions on common mental health pain points, but it’s the expertise and trust, embedded in a relatively short space of time by Able Futures, that Lisa most values: “Able Futures is simply easy to work with. They have in-depth knowledge of mental health issues both in and out of the workplace and their advice and materials are well considered. They take absolute accountability for the people they support and are responsive and regular communicators. It’s what we strive for at Impellam – trust at work – and it’s a partnership which only adds to our Virtuosity.”

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Natalie’s NCS adventure partners across England on behalf of the NCS Trust, it is a defining and pivotal part of many young people’s transitions from senior school.

Struggling with longstanding anxiety, Natalie was excited yet nervous about her first stay away without family. She needn’t have worried…

“The leaders were absolutely amazing,” says 16 year-old Natalie, who lives in Durham and has a slow to heal dislocated knee. “The leaders adapted activities for me to take part, made me laugh when I needed it, and helped transport me around to ease walking on my knee.

Attending her residential week away on crutches wasn’t the ideal start to Natalie’s National Citizen Service (NCS) five-day adventure.

Yet thanks to her Ingeus group leaders taking steps to ensure she maxed her visit, not even a nagging knee injury could stop Natalie feeling ‘the happiest I’ve been in years’.

Based at the Kingswood Dearne Valley residential and outdoor activity centre

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near Doncaster in South Yorkshire, Natalie’s ‘Boss It’ NCS week in July was a masterclass in learning new skills in fun, inventive ways. From team, raft and buggy building to political debates, creative catwalk creations, and camp-fire sing-alongs, she learnt the fundamentals of business pitching, planning, and pricing which she hopes to use to establish her own affordable drama school in the future.

Along with new-found NCS friends she also plans to establish a charity, Envision, which will provide longed-for holidays for older people.

The Boss It experience is one of three new NCS themes, designed to give 16 and 17 year olds confidence-boosting life and career training, while spending four supervised nights away from home. Delivered by Ingeus and its

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“Everyone was so supportive; they became a second family. The leaders helped me when I felt panicked, they always listened, and gave me some new coping mechanisms to help my mental health. I felt so happy there, I cried a lot leaving, but we have a group chat to stay in touch with the friends I made.”

Now a performing arts student at New College in Durham, Natalie says NCS has improved her communication skills and given her confidence in facing new people and places. It also honed her leadership skills – which were in high demand as the only young person in her group with a business studies GCSE. “I thoroughly enjoyed the Boss It trip and wish it hadn’t ended so soon,” concludes Natalie, who is already encouraging her younger brother to try NCS. “I will never forget how amazing the five days away were – it changed my life. I’d love to be an NCS leader in the future and help other young people the way it helped me.”

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Setting new trends with a second career Jonty Rooke is Ingeus’ Head of Employer Services for the Restart Scheme in London.

Joining Ingeus in September 2020 was a complete change of direction – his big midlife pivot. Here’s why Jonty was ‘sew’excited to switch his fashion career and how he’s setting new trends with the capital’s employers.

During his 20-year, high flying sales career with a global fashion brand, Jonty Rooke had been there, done that, and bought the T-shirt.

Despite loving what he describes as his ‘accidental’ jet-setting fashion role, the sudden demands of becoming a single parent in 2016 and a growing desire to do something more meaningful led Jonty to accept that his career was no longer for him.

Armed with his trademark exuberance and enthusiastic commitment to reinvent himself, Jonty retrained as a personal and professional coach. He set up a successful coaching consultancy in London and embraced his new life of self-employment and school runs. Yet, as for many people, the pandemic had other ideas and with a sudden shortage of corporate coaching contracts, Jonty again found himself moving with the times – and joining Ingeus.

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Jonty joined as a work coach for Ingeus’ Central London Works, Work and Health Programme in Hackney, helping long-term unemployed people into work amidst the challenges of Covid.

“I loved it from the word go,” enthuses Jonty. “Working with a completely different set of clients, each with their own stories to tell and often substantial challenges to overcome. I could finally look my kids in the eyes and tell them I was making a difference, changing lives.

It made me very proud.”

Fast forward six months and, keen to utilise his past management experience, Jonty applied for a team leader position with Ingeus’ JETS programme. He describes having “so much fun” managing the HI-Team (Hackney and Islington) and credits colleagues at all levels for inspiring him. As JETS came to its natural end, a regional business manager role for the Restart Scheme was next in Jonty’s sights. Again, Jonty was successful in this progression, and just a few months later, he was encouraged by his manager to apply for the Head of Employer Services role. A title he has held for the past year: “The support I’ve had to progress in Ingeus is remarkable,” continues Jonty.

“Nobody ever said ‘pipe down, you haven’t paid your dues’… it’s been rock solid encouragement all the way. It is full of self-starters, and I work with wonderful teams of people. There are so many opportunities for training and career development. The support I’ve had from my managers has blown me away. Ingeus genuinely walks the walk, I can’t believe how value-led it is.”

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Jonty’s role now sees him oversee a team of employer services specialists, based at centres across Central and West London. Their remit is to help employers recruit and retain a diverse and talented workforce, by matching their vacancies with Restart Scheme participants looking for sustainable employment. It’s a role Jonty takes very personally: “I am on a personal mission to help employers rethink their hiring, particularly around social impact.

All employers must start prioritising the recruitment of unemployed people, not just to fill vacancies, but to change people’s lives,” he says. Being a toastmaster and lover of public speaking, the passion in his voice is clear!

Now making a respected name for himself throughout the industry, Jonty knows the gravity and importance of the services Ingeus provides. Yet his insatiable joie de vivre means it’s also great fun.

“I didn’t expect employability to be fun.

It’s serious work, changing lives, and isn’t to be taken lightly but that doesn’t mean you can’t foster a fantastic team spirit with those around you and have fun along the way. If you enjoy what you do, you learn quicker and do a better job.

“This is my second career and I’m not hanging around. Ingeus gives me a springboard to make a difference and remain loyal to those who support me while constantly progressing and developing.

“It’s a world away from the catwalks of Paris and Milan, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

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