Information, Advice & Guidance
We provide free, impartial information, advice and guidance services to anyone aged 20 and over, in custody or in the community.
This involves a one-to-one appointment with a trained Advisor who can assist with;
As with all of our employment related provision, this is informed by the individuals criminal record and any restrictions they are subject to, in order to ensure that support is realistic and achievable.
All of our IAG Advisors hold, or are working towards NVQ 4 in Guidance.
Our services are accredited by Matrix, the industry quality standard for Information, Advice and Guidance.
Employability
We have a team of experienced staff who offer assessment, follow-on support and onwards referral to address employment related needs of offenders and prisoners.
We offer free support with a range of issues which assist with improving employability and confidence. This includes;
- CV preparation
- Interview techniques
- Telephone techniques
- Job search
- Disclosure of criminal convictions
- Basic vocational training courses
We also offer a cognitive employment course called ‘Workwise’. This is a structured programme developed by Mendas which can be delivered one-to-one or in small groups, and covers issues such as problem solving, self awareness, perspective taking and working with others, which will assist individuals to gain and sustain employment.
This provision is offered on a one-to-one or small group basis in custody and in the community.
As with all of our employment related provision, this is informed by the individuals criminal record and any restrictions they are subject to, in order to ensure that support is realistic and achievable.
Disclosure
One of the most important services we offer to offenders and prisoners is support with disclosure of their criminal record. This involves advice about how the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 applies to their convictions, what is 'spent' and 'unspent', how and what to disclosure in situations such as job interviews, college application forms etc and the requirements of the Police Act 1997 and the different types of Disclosure.
Disclosure is the main barrier that most offenders come across when applying for work, and therefore it is vital that individuals are fully aware of their legal obligations and are able to identify the most effective method of disclosing their criminal record.
Childrens Support
The Trust is pleased to be working with Children in Need to provide a Childrens Support provision at HMP Lincoln. The aim of this project is to minimise the impact of a father going into prison for the children, by acting as a point of contact, encouraging family visits, providing information etc.
Our Funders
Our work is funded from a variety of sources and we are very grateful for the support we receive to provide our services.
Financial Capability
The Trust has worked with the Financial Services Authority to develop 'Working Money', a toolkit for working with offenders and prisoners to improve financial capability. The resource covers a wide-range of topics including opening a bank account, essential and non-essential expenditure, paying bills, different forms of finance etc, and is used in isolation or as part of a wider financial capability course in prisons and for offenders in the community.
Accommodation Support
We offer housing advice to prisoners at HMP Morton Hall and HMP Lincoln to assist with sustaining previous accommodation, or to secure new accommodation ready for release. We work closely with accommodation providers and local councils and we are currently developing a 'good tenants' course to assist clients to become better tenants once accommodation has been secured.
The Trust also has a dedicated service for Remand prisoners at HMP Lincoln which provides specific support for this group whilst on remand awaiting trial / sentence.
Family Support
We have developed a family support provision at HMP Morton Hall and at HMP New Hall, to ensure the needs of the immediate and wider family are taken into account when considering resettlement and rehabilitation for female prisoners at the jails. This project has been externally evaluated to identify good practice in this area of work.
Prolific and Priority Offenders
The Trust provides specific accommodation support for prolific and priority offenders across Lincolnshire, as well as for PPO prisoners approaching release into the county. The team work as part of a multi-disciplinary team to assist PPO's to gain / retain suitable accommodation. This provision is funded by Supporting People and aims to enable PPO's to live independently, thus reducing their risk of re-offending.
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