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< PreviousThe Clink charity has worked with City & Guilds to provide former offenders with qualifications in hospitality or horticulture since its creation in 2009. We had the opportunity to hear about how this work got started from Alberto (Al) Crisci MBE FCGI, Technical Advisor for Prison Catering, Founder and Former Director of The Clink. Al created The Clink after he noticed that many of the prisoners he was working with in his role as catering manager at HMP High Down were struggling to leverage their qualifications to secure a job upon release. He decided to create a unique fine dining experience, offered in prisons to the paying public, designed to change the industry’s perception of ex-offenders. The Clink exclusively used City & Guilds accredited courses, recognising it as the “gold star” of hospitality training. This was crucial in supporting trainees across the UK, as well as those who moved internationally upon release. "Opening the first Clink and its success as we grew it massively changed the general public's view of ex-offenders," said Al. "The fact that the qualification was City & Guilds offered the assurance and confidence to employers and really helped to get people a foot in the door." The Clink An interview with Founder Alberto Crisci MBE FCGI SPOTLIGHT 10 The Clink The training has a broader impact on the families and communities involved. "In the restaurant in Cardiff, we held an event one day where our graduates could come in with their families and that's probably one of the most moving things I'd ever been to,” Al shared. “There were lots of examples like, 'thank you for what you did, you've given me my son back or my husband back or my dad back.’ That's when you really realise the impact of the training, not just on the prisoner's life but their wider family and friends, their wider circle. Also, it has the hidden positive impact; that there are less victims because they've stopped committing the crimes." In the first year alone, The Clink reduced reoffending of its graduates to just 10% (compared with the national average of 47%). In the first year alone, The Clink reduced reoffending of its graduates to just 10% (compared with the national average of 47%). The Clink Charity is now in its thirteenth year of operations and has received more than 60 awards for its transformative work. There are currently three Clink Restaurants in operation, 2 Clink Gardens, 1 event catering business, 1 bakery and 29 prison kitchens. The Clink has placed people in a range of front and back of house jobs, including as a steward on Virgin Trains, Hilton Hotel Group, the Lancaster House Hotel, and many more. The Clink 11Innovative funding through the City & Guilds Foundation In December 2019, the City & Guilds Foundation launched The Future Skills Commission for Prisons, alongside the announcement of a £1 million Big Ideas Fund. “As we look to rebuild our economy it is hugely important that we recognise the potential ex- offenders have to play in this. I know from my own business what a contribution they can make to any organisation’s success and how much better it is that people released from prison have the opportunities they need to make a fresh start. We must ensure that ex- offenders have the skills and training they need to have the chance to find work and avoid re- offending.” James Timpson OBE, Chief Executive of the Timpson Group of retailers, one of the largest employers of ex- offenders in the UK, and a member of the Future Skills Commission for Prisons This initiative was created to identify new approaches to delivering training within the prison estate. The Fund aimed to incentivize UK-based charities, prison Governors, and social innovators to develop groundbreaking methods to assist offenders to enhance their skillsets and find employment opportunities. Supported by expert Commissioners with significant experience in the prison sector, the Commission aims to identify and implement practical solutions that can be scaled to effectively reduce reoffending rates. This is being achieved by partnering with charities that offer solutions that are innovative, practical, collaborative, replicable and systemic. Since we launched the Future Skills Commission for Prisons, there has been greater focus on skills in prison, including The Prisons Strategy White Paper, the Government’s overhaul of targets for employment, the unveiling of unprecedented skills and education opportunities by new prisons, and the inclusion of apprenticeship delivery in prisons. The need has only grown due to the Covid-19 crisis, where prison education and employment support vastly decreased. As the country recovers, we are starting to see remarkable impact as our partners are finally able to deliver their innovative programmes inside the gates, help prisoners into sustained employment in the community and maximise the economic and societal value of these programmes. 12 Innovative funding through City & Guilds Foundation“It is critical that we find opportunities for prisoners to develop skills that will have genuine value to employers in the new economic climate – or we risk exacerbating the cycle of reoffending for this generation of prison-leavers.” Ian Bickers, Deputy Director, Education, Employment and Industries Group, led the prison response to Education & Work during COVID 19 and a member of the Future Skills Commission for Prisons Innovative funding through City & Guilds Foundation 13The impact of our funding interventions St. Giles City & Guilds has formed a diverse partnership with national charity St Giles over the past five years. Initial funding saw the recruitment and training of St Giles’ Peer Advisers - individuals who have overcome their own struggles including crime, addiction, exploitation and homelessness. Alongside this, St Giles developed an accredited City & Guilds Advice and Guidance qualification. Successful participants were amongst the first prison learners to achieve a digital credential allowing individuals and organisations to recognise, communicate and verify skills and achievements online, in a secure way. St Giles is also using funding to identify gaps in digital knowledge to prepare advisors for employment. Even covering very basic digital skills like sending emails and accepting calendar appointments. Programme participants are three times more likely to be employed Is the estimated saving to the public purse over 3 years because of the programme Peer Advisors trained through City & Guilds accredited qualifications 63 £6.5 3x 14 The impact of our funding interventions St Giles“It’s all about giving people the space to learn at their own pace, with the right knowledge so they can change their futures.” Carol Thomson, Quality and Assessment Manager, St Giles The impact of our funding interventions St Giles 15No Going Back No Going Back is an initiative which provides prison leavers with ‘through the gate’ support, training, jobs and accommodation. Our funding saw the introduction of a new training element called ‘Kangaroo’ which was designed to develop essential employability skills. Delivered in three-hour sessions, ‘Kangaroo’ offers a partner-led series of modules which ultimately build confidence so that the individuals can move on to the broader No Going Back programme. Each participant receives a City & Guilds Assured digital badge, which can be used on release. The Foundation also funded the measurement of the impact of the entire No Going Back programme – with a view to gaining evidence for its long-term future as an effective method for upskilling and securing employment for prisoners. 82 People have taken part in ‘Kangaroo’ Are now feeling more ready for work 81% Would recommend the programme 94% Report increased confidence in the future 88% 16 The impact of our funding interventions No Going Back The impact of our funding interventions No Going Back 17 “The clear impact reporting has helped us to secure further funding, ultimately allowing us to support more prisoners with that vital through the gate support. All of us at No Going Back want to say thank you to City & Guilds for their support on this initiative.” Fran Findlater OBE, Founder, Bounce Back and Executive Head, No Going BackGroundwork Groundwork were awarded £285,000 to develop and deliver a new learning programme, ‘Green Start’ in resettlement prisons. The focus of the programme is centered on employment pathways into the green economy. Working closely with employers and the Prison, the mix of practical and classroom activities are highly relevant for the outside world. So far, seven cohorts of the training have been delivered in HMP Forest Bank by Groundwork Greater Manchester with 38 learners having completed training and 11 currently in training. The current objective of the project is to reach a total of 80 offenders over the next 12 months, with the aim of securing sustained employment in the green economy for 30%+ of the programme participants. 90% Completed their City & Guilds Level 1 Health & Safety qualification Have gone on to complete their City & Guilds Level 2 Health & Safety qualification 47% Learners are Carbon Literacy certified, a 100% success rate for all those who entered into the qualification 13 18 GroundworkOf the individuals released have secured and sustained employment or further education or training 61% Employers have supported with employment opportunities, mock interviews and/or in custody employment talks 5 Additional employer partners are interested in supporting the delivery of future cohorts 6 “Funding from the City & Guilds Foundation has enabled us to deliver the same employment focused training solutions that we offer in the community within a prison environment for the first time. Groundwork is now established as a prison education provider, and we were able to secure funding through Greater Manchester Combined Authority to run a prison-based Bootcamp using DfE Skills for Life Programme funding.” Venetia Knight, Head of Employment & Enterprise, Groundwork Groundwork 19Next >