Southampton City CouncilActions to Reduce Re-Offending through Skills

and Employment

Denise Edghill

.

Actions to Reduce Re-Offending through Skills and EmploymentOverview of the presentation:

• Why is Southampton City Council involved?

• The Southampton Approach

• Overview of the Projects

• Impact

Why is Southampton City Council involved?

• Southampton is a ‘Crime Priority Area’

• More offenders are released from HMP Winchester to Southampton than anywhere else, and similar number from other prisons (Camphill, London Prisons, Ford)

• Employment reduces re-offending by between a third and a half

• Re-offending rates– 70% will re-offend in 2 years

Crime Reduction:

Why is Southampton City Council involved?

• For offenders

• For communities: - Southampton has high indices of deprivation

30% regularly truanted49% were excluded from school89% left school at 16 or younger

60% gained no qualifications80% have literacy & numeracy at

or below Level 127% were in the care of social

services60% were unemployed prior to

their offence70% had two or more mental

‘disorders’60% misused drugs or alcohol

32% were homeless

Social Inclusion:

Why is Southampton City Council involved?

The Reducing Re-offending National Plan:

• Accommodation

• Education, Training and Employment

• Mental and Physical Health

• Drugs and Alcohol

• Finance, Benefits and Debt

• Children and Families of Offenders

• Attitudes, Thinking and Behaviour

The Seven Pathways

Why is Southampton City Council involved?

• Economic Development

• Supporting People and Housing

• Drug Action Teams, Mental and Physical Health

• Children and Families, Every Child Matters

• Community Safety, PPO Work, CDRP’s

• Local Area Agreements, Strategic Partnerships

• Section 106 Planning Applications

Relationship to other key objectives including:

The Southampton Approach:

• The only local authority in the country taking this lead

• Individually centred

• Holistic approach and co-ordination with ultimate focus on employment

• Partnership/consortia delivery including VCS

• Promote transition/consistency through custody to community

• Demonstrate reduced re-offending

• Pilot national approaches

The Projects:

• EXODUS Consortium

• OLASS for unemployed offenders in the community

• Building Bricks

• Engaging Ex-Offenders in Learning

• Engage Project

SCC is leading five projects totalling £1.6 million EU fundingand 1700 offenders:

Delivery Model 1:Pre-Employment Training

• Linked to real jobs through Section 106 Planning and Local Employer Partnerships

• 2 weeks training with guaranteed interviews

• Industry led

• Carillion course: 100% job outcomes

Delivery Model 2:Custody to Community Transition

• Engagement in custody

• Vocational training in custody(e.g., City & Guilds Level 1 Wood Occupations)

• Targeted pre-employment training on release

• Further IAG and holistic support

Impact

• Over 1000 offenders have engaged

• More than 60% progression to vocational training/employment

• Partnership and working arrangements with HMP Winchester, Camp Hill, Ford, Portland YOI, Hampshire Probation, YOT, Hampshire Constabulary

• Robust referral and feedback systems

• Contribution to National policy

Reducing Re-Offending

Police National Computer Data:

• 612 offenders: 1800 offences in year prior to our intervention, 600 afterwards: 64% reduction in re offending

• 98 MAPPAs: 70% have not re offended.

Cost of Re-Offending:

• £45,000 per prison place per year, additional £70,000 criminal justice costs

• (doesn't include cost of crime/state benefits)

• The projects have saved over £10 million.

denise.edghill@southampton.gov.uk - 023 8083 4095