SOLVING RECRUITMENT CHALLENGES

Solving Recruitment Challenges AND Making A Difference to Real People, Real Families, Real Businesses and Real Communities.

In today’s critical labour shortage, Government and business leaders are forging a new era in creating second changes by developing new relationships between the UK’s prisons network and the commercial sector. Business chiefs from Murphy, Gallagher Group, Timpson, Cook and many others including Safer Highways member Solar Gates UK, have pledged to employ hundreds of ex-offenders.

By Neil Sampson and Anna Blake

Solar Gates UK

At the first National Prison Employment Advisory Board (EAB) Conference, hosted at Timpsons’ Manchester based training centre, a host of prison governors and business leaders heard real life stories and the huge differences these second chances make to real people, families, businesses, and communities. The Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice (MOJ), Victoria Atkins MP laid out the governments’ plan to streamline this ideal into a reality for employers and ex-offenders alike.

“I am determined to see barriers removed so businesses can hire more prison leavers who want to turn around their lives Getting prison leavers into steady jobs is a win-win

Atkins urged employers to help “break the cycle” of reoffending, at a conference hosted by Timpson’s chief James Timpson, in partnership with the government’s New Futures Network (NFN) and urged them to put their weight behind a government scheme to help prisoners back into work.

“Getting prison leavers into steady jobs is a win-win. It cuts crime and makes the public safer – and also provides the reliable staff businesses need to drive the British economy,” Atkins explained to conference attendees.

Atkins said the government “wouldn’t ask businesses to do something we are not doing ourselves, and are planning to hire 1,000 prison leavers into civil service roles. We are calling on more firms to get involved in protecting the public through unlocking better lives for ex-offenders seeking a second chance.”

“I am determined to see barriers removed so businesses can hire more prison leavers who want to turn around their lives,” Atkins concluded.

Murphy Group CEO, John Murphy, also chairs the employment advisory board at HMP Berwyn explains, “By sharing our practical business experience with prison colleagues, we are supporting

prisoners to get the rights skills and advice, so they are job ready on release. They are proven to be valuable members of our team”.

James Timpson in his Sunday Times Column says “When I was a kid, my mum, a foster carer, often took us to Styal Prison, near Manchester. I would sit in the car for a couple of hours staring at the high fence while she took the babies, she was caring for to see their locked-up mothers.

Visiting prisons is now something I regularly fit in my diary. Most weeks I walk the wings, talking to inmates while looking for great personalities to join my business. For years I had a free rein, picking the best of the best. But now I have got competition. Other employers have cottoned on to this great way of finding talented staff and giving people a second chance. For years companies didn’t want to be associated with ex-offenders; now the reverse is true. In fact, a few weeks ago our recruitment team was a week too late; Greggs had already signed up the best candidates”

With labour shortages in the Highways Industry this new recruitment opportunity can only be a win:win solution to bringing in new raw talent for struggling recruiters.

Ministers hope to see EAB’s, linking jails to employers, operational at all 91 resettlement prisons in England and Wales by spring 2023. Solar Gates UK chair an EAB’s at HMP Stanford Hill, working with the prison Governor, offenders and local employers, helping inmates to be work ready upon release and to utilise ROTL (release on temporary licence, or day release) opportunities. “We have only just started on the exciting EAB journey with this new government initiative and there are currently over 50 more advisory boards and chairs to be found UK wide. So the opportunity is huge for those businesses who want to get involved”. With over 5 years’ experience of working with ex-offenders and addicts in recovery, it is second nature to Solar Gates UK to give second chances. With this in mind, they are proudly hosting the second National EAB conference at their Kent based HQ on the 15th September 2022. This event, supported by Timpson Foundation, NFN and HMPPS will allows Highways businesses and the local Chamber of Commerce members to hear how this new way of thinking will help to solve labour shortages. The Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice, Victoria Atkins MP, will deliver a keynote speech to business leaders and prison governors about the benefits to UK business and local communities. NFN will explain the journey and mission laid out ahead. But more pertinently, conference attendees will hear real life experiences from ex-offenders who have started their lives again, simply with the help of an employer offering them a job. There will also be practical workshops from the Cook Group about how they have integrated ex-offender recruitment into their company culture.

Neil Sampson, Managing Director at Solar Gates UK explains “Working with ex-offenders has been one of the most singularly motivating and rewarding ways of building a valuable team. We have had such huge success over the last 5 years

“Working with ex-offenders has been one of the most singularly motivating and rewarding ways of building a valuable team

The SOSEC and INSTABOOM range of solar powered mobile barriers are unique in their ease of use, instant deployment and range of innovative site applications. With full telematics, UK wide managed support, CSCS card access and UKCA compliance – rest assured your site safety can be improved by the sun!

Anti-incursion

Site safety

Protect your people Protect your site Save carbon

GS6 protection

Left: Claire Bennett Safer Highway’s Hero 2021

of working with local prisons, it is a pleasure to be hosting such a key event this autumn. If it allows us, and others like us, to tell our story to other business leaders and allows even one person being given a second chance, it will be worthwhile. The journey of employing though the prison service is perhaps a little daunting at the beginning and the EAB conference will allow those who have experienced this to explain the overwhelming employment benefits that result, as well as the life changing individual stories that businesses will then be a part of.” Claire continues “To all the employers reading this, I hope I can be an ambassador for all offenders and encourage you to give opportunities to offenders upon release and to those in custody. Please try and remember that every prisoner has had a lifetime of experience; in work, at life and in education before their time in jail. I would say to you that if you are considering implementing a more positive HR policy to include employing people with a back story that may not be simple, or a wellbeing culture that can really affects lives, you could do no better than to get involved and attend the EAB conference at Solar Gates UK”. Claires shining example to the industry has placed her in the position of being a judge this years’ Highway Hero Awards.

The September EAB conference is all about unpacking this journey and hopefully will alleviate concerns, explain benefits and help ministers to further their mission. We are opening the invitation on the 15th September to all and hope this will help the highways industry and the whole supply chain improve their employment outcomes, build corporate ESG and get behind the amazing win:win opportunity to give second chances”.

Ex-offender and Safer Highway Hero award winner, Claire Bennett, will explain her story at the conference and the life changing results that a job opportunity gave her. Claire recently completed her sentence, rebuilt her family life and has continued to thrive in her role at Solar Gates. Claire explains “over 18 months ago, Solar Gates gave me a chance to work with them, in a non-judgemental team where only my future was important to them and not my past. Each member of the team has had a positive impact on me and my new future. The faith and trust that Solar Gates UK placed in me when they took me on, and that they continue to show, has been a life changer. They have given me the opportunity, during my prison sentence, to go from merely surviving to thriving”.

“Over 18 months ago, Solar Gates gave me a chance to work with them, in a non-judgemental team where only my future was important to them and not my past.

Claire Bennett

For more information and to register for the Southern EAB conference, contact anna@solargates.co.uk or visit https:// www.solargates.co.uk/news/eabconf