What excites you about the programme?
The programme gives bespoke support to its clients and allows me to use my initiative to help create a formula that works. It allows me to be creative in how I deliver the service, and the freedom to work with the clients, who often have complicated needs. The Foundation Trustees have shown they have confidence in me. They are involved with the practicalities and are always keen to offer their support in developing the Programme.
What does a typical day (working on the programme) for you involve?
A typical day consists of checking-in to my office at St Giles Trust and logging on to check my emails. I will send texts when necessary to clients and ask them to call or text me back so just so I know they are ok. A lot of the time is spent speaking to probation officers and other agencies who work within the criminal justice system.
A lot of time also goes into arranging prison visits, responding to referrals and writing reports. Meetings can also take up a lot of time as I often have to travel to probation offices and prisons to meet with clients and other professionals. As the project still in its infancy, a lot of time is spent networking other agencies to inform them about the programme.
What’s the most challenging aspect of your role?
The most challenging aspect to my role is sustaining that initial impact on participating clients once they are released. This is because once released, they are often back in the same environment, social circles and most probably worse off financially than ever before. These factors can sometimes pull individuals back into the same behaviours that landed them in prison in the first place.
I spend a lot of time talking in 1:1 keywork sessions with my clients to help them see the magnitude a life of criminal behaviour can and will have on their lives and futures. Creating or restoring belief in these young people can be difficult because they more often than not believe once they have a criminal record or have been to prison, there is no longer hope for them. Helping them to re-establish confidence is a task in itself. Once they are willing to ‘give it a go’, my belief is that all is possible.
What skills are most impactful when helping clients?
I think the most impactful skills I can demonstrate to my clients are the ability to express my understanding of what they are experiencing, and combining that with a realistic solution to their issues. It is not always productive to tell clients that I too have been incarcerated, as some are still seeking to hear glorified stories of criminal activities that excite them. If I do deem it necessary to tell them about my past, it will only ever be to speak about the consequences it has had on mine and my family’s life.
Getting to know and understand my clients and building trust with them will enable them to let their guard down which in turn helps me to support them more productively.
Which other agencies will you be working with on the programme?
In order to carry out my duties, I have to liaise with other agencies dealing with offender management. These agencies include the MPS, NPS, NHS, CRC, HMP, Catch 22, St Mungo’s, The Jobcentre and Local Authority Councils in Southwark and the other boroughs. There are also other employment training and education agencies I have links to, some of which offer bespoke training opportunities to young people with a history of offending.
**MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) NPS (National Probation Service) NHS (National Health Service) CRC (Community Rehabilitation Company) HMP (Her Majesty’s Prison)