Warbarth

Working Links

Devon and Cornwall Probation

Reducing Crime – Tackling Exclusion

TogetherPresentation to The Howard League for Penal Reform

House of Lords 4th February 2009

Background

• Response to National Action Plan to Reduce Re-offending (2004)– “Having a real job reduces the risk of reconviction by between

33% and 50% depending on age”

• Financed by European Social Fund’s (ESF) Objective One and match funded through DCPA and Working Links from May 06 to June 08

• Partnership between Devon and Cornwall Probation and Working Links

• Eligibility - offenders/ex-offenders aged over 18 living in Cornwall.

• Most referrals from DCPA but also from offenders not on licence and ex-offenders who still consider offending to be a barrier.

Approach

• Specialist Offender Programme

• Voluntary

• County Wide

• Discretionary Enabling Fund

• Individual tailored solutions

• Cross Agency Activity

Meet the team

Customer Journey

• Engagement Activity• Meeting Clients • Diagnostic interview and tools• Action Planning• Job Search and Interviews• A New Job• Aftercare support

Case Study One

• Schedule one offender

• Referred to us by DCPA

• Licence restrictions

• Change of career needed

• Disclosing to employers

• Getting a job!

• What happened next

• He won ‘Store man of the Year Award’

• Probation agreed trip abroad

• His long term partner moved in

• He has been promoted

• He is loving life

• Signing with Probation until April 2009

• On sex offenders register for further 5 years

Case Study two

• Previous job Foreign Exchange Broker in Hong Kong

• Due to alcohol misuse suffered liver damage

• Re-located to Cornwall• Convicted of dealing Class B drugs• Split from partner – twin boys born• Housing – caravan• Warbarth helped him develop his

photography skills• Do a Business Plan for self

employment• Secure Housing• Purchased lap top

Outcomes

• Starts 655 v Profile 280• Jobs 162 v Profile 70• Other Outcomes 233 v Profile 85• Qualifications 122 v 75

• National Award from Howard League and • National Justice Award

Lessons Learned

• Recognise & Respond to Local need

• Specialist staff

• Cross agency approach

• Invest and take risk

• Praise and not punish

Warbarth the Legacy

• Specialist Ex- offender advisors

• Relationships with Probation

• Plymouth University SRRU Evaluation

• Cornwall Works Plus