“We have found our custody to community resettlement partnership with HMP Forest Bank to be extremely successful. For over eight years now we have maintained over 90% external engagement rates with inmates when released and a sub 10% reoffending rate as we have reintegrated ex-offenders back into local communities via our regional centres throughout Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

Offering progressive pathways to inmates is crucial in order to see a reduction in re-offending which is why I am particularly excited about our developing work with industries through which we can offer clear work skills training and employment opportunities.”

Andrew Thorp, Street Soccer Academy CEO

HMP Forest Bank Regional Centre

Period January 2011 to December 2014

Street Soccer Academy has worked in partnership with HMP Forest Bank since January 2011. During this time we have seen 305 inmates go through our original programme, streetsoccer and a further 34 enroll on streetfit. In November 2014 the industries programme with Intelling was launched and has recently received it’s first intake. Regardless of the programme attended all inmates receive access to our comprehensive and robust community based support infrastructure that exists throughout Greater Manchester and Lancashire locally.

Our ‘through the gate’ support and community commitment includes:

24/7 Intervention/support
Community based mentoring
Practical experience programme
Regional centre access
Wrap-around support
Skills development programme
Floating support team
Peer mentoring
Community partners (in areas of housing, debt advice, addictions, mental health, education, and employment)

streetsoccer (launched January 2011)

Coach Education and Personal Development Programme

 

Aim/Objective

Reduce reoffending behaviour through the utilisation of SSA community based regional centres throughout Greater Manchester and Lancashire.

Offender Behaviour

Delivering a football based cognitive skills programme which addresses the way offenders think and challenges behaviour associated with offending. The programme aims to reduce reoffending by engaging and motivating, mentoring and responding to individual need and building on continuity through a bespoke approach with each individual. It supports offenders developing skills in goal setting and making plans to achieve these without offending.

“

We have a long tradition of forming strong and successful partnerships with some of the very best organisations in the criminal justice sphere. Our work with Street Soccer Academy is one of our key strategic partnerships for the development of national solutions to reducing reoffending.

Trevor Shortt, HMP Forest Bank Director

Impact

74
Course completion rate
91
External engagement rate
7
Reoffending rate

Pathways of those Engaged

SSA Support

50%

Employment

34%

Reoffended

7%

Recalled

6%

Education and Training

3%

Case Study

DD enrolled on the streetsoccer programme whilst in recovery on the Eden Unit. DD found the physical aspect of the programme aided his recovery from a history of drug abuse.

“Being part of a physical based programme enabled me to improve my general health and for the first time in my life become fit.”

DD thrived off the classroom-based units of discussion, particularly the action-planning module, which enabled him to make firm plans as he approached release. It was quite clear that DD was becoming extremely motivated during his time on the course and he set himself three targets.

“I have never worked as an adult so this is the first thing I want to focus on when released. The second is my relationship with my partner and thirdly to feel like I belong in community and have a role to play in society.”

DD successfully completed all 21 units of the programme and engaged with us in community. He regularly attended the Manchester based regional centre taking an active part in leading and running the sessions. After his quarterly appraisal having completed a Skills Development Programme with us, we confidently put him forward for an interview with a telecommunications company. After a successful application process and interview DD was offered the job in Wythenshawe. He has been employed for over 12 months now, has his own place to live with girlfriend and son, and now volunteers at Street Soccer Academy outside of working hours.

In answer to a question that DD was asked recently regarding where he would be without the help of Street Soccer Academy, he replied ‘I’d be dead’.

“I’m so grateful that someone gave me a chance to prove myself, especially with my background. I certainly wouldn’t be where I am now if it wasn’t for Street Soccer Academy and the programmes that they made available to me in order to turn my life around. I’ll be forever grateful.”

“

We are delighted with the progression DD has made out in community over the past 18 months. We had worked with him on the Eden Unit at HMP Forest Bank during an intensive period knowing he had a history of serious drug abuse and broken family relations. We recently visited him at a Street Soccer Academy regional centre in community and to see him with his partner and child, dressed smartly for work and evidently thriving in life gave the team and I huge satisfaction. It was an emotional day.

Sharon Berry - HMP Forest Bank Recovery Manager

streetfit (launched January 2014)

Health and Wellbeing Programme – Family Intervention

 

Aim/Objective

Resettlement of inmates through family intervention via the visitation centre.

Offender Behaviour being addressed

A health and fitness programme aimed at addressing offenders self-confidence, their view of society and improving their relationships with families, friends and communities. Offenders are empowered to take personal control of their lives with particular emphasis on physical fitness, their general health and wellbeing. An outward looking perspective is encouraged in order to challenge negative behaviour that effects their general relationships in society. Positive resettlement is aimed for through working with family members prior to release.

Impact

94
Course completion rate
50
External engagement rate
89
'Support Partner' engagement rate

Case Study

CL successfully completed his first ever course, which was a 10-week streetfit programme. With a 10-year history of drug and alcohol abuse this was an achievement in itself. Not just because he managed to complete a course but, a physical course. CL has struggled with mental heath issues too, especially depression and anxiety so completing this programme was significant.

CL was released just before Christmas and his benefit payments were delayed. Thanks to our floating support team, he received a food and clothes parcel for himself, a Christmas hamper for his mother, a referral for housing and an opportunity to volunteer at an allotment.

CL relied virtually single handedly on the Street Soccer Academy ‘through the gate’ support package upon release. He had this to say about his experience:

“The course content and structure is great but the main strength of Street Soccer Academy is the people involved and their passion and motivation to work with us. The staff and volunteers were immediately there for me upon release when everything appeared to be going wrong. Their hand of support reached beyond me to my family which I will never forget.”

“

CL engaged with our regional centre immediately upon release. I’m glad he did this as his life was pretty chaotic with no money for food or clothes and a far from ideal living situation. It was late December and both he and his mother were facing Christmas in a rather desperate situation. To be able to intervene having liaised with the Street Soccer Academy through the gate support team was a real privilege. We were able to meet immediate need and arrange long-term solutions to their pending problems.

Dave Scholes – SSA Accrington Regional Manager

Industries (launched November 2014)

Work Skills and Employment

 

Aim/Objective

Provide positive pathways of employment through attractive, realistic and achievable work skills programme opportunities

Offender Behaviour being addressed

Through intensive personal and social development with incorporated skills development programme, inmates are provided with a focus and work based options upon release. The aim is to provide ex-offenders with ‘something to lose’ in order to encourage alternative behavioural patterns.

Impact

Will be measured when a reasonable amount of data is available. Further industry links are being developed and devised for 2015.