Recruitment firm helps ex-offenders
FORMER PRISON INMATES HELPED IN TO WORK
A RECRUITMENT firm run by former prison inmates to help ex-offenders find work has a new patron.
Former Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, the Rt Hon David Gauke, has become the first patron of Offploy, a social enterprise dedicated to helping those with criminal convictions find sustainable work.
Offploy, co-founded by Hull businessman Nigel Stabler and former prisoner Jacob Hill, was recently awarded a Ministry of Justice contract to help more than 250 ex-offenders find jobs in the North of England, following a successful pilot scheme in East Yorkshire.
Ministry of Justice figures show that, on average, only 17 per cent of former prisoners manage to gain employment within a year of release, but those who do are up to 9 per cent less likely to reoffend.
Mr Gauke said: “One of my priorities as Justice Secretary was to increase employment opportunities for ex-offenders and I noticed the excellent work that Offploy was doing.
“Consequently, I was delighted to be asked by Jacob Hill to become a patron, and hope this gives me a chance to provide the support and encouragement Offploy needs, in order to continue such crucial work.
“Attitudes are changing for the better and more and more companies are willing to take on ex-offenders. But there is always more that needs to be done to reassure employers, and their customers, and make the case for the positive benefits of employing those with a criminal record.”
Offploy is supporting those with convictions in finding meaningful, mentored, and sustainable work across the North and South of Tyne, Hull and East Riding, and South Yorkshire.
Mr Hill said: “David Gauke’s commitment to reducing reoffending rates and supporting the rehabilitation of those with previous convictions is widely recognised and admired, alongside his progressive approach to the criminal justice system.
“During his time in office, David’s ‘Education and Employment Strategy 2018’ centred around the notion that when an offender enters prison they should be put, immediately, on the path to being prepared for employment on release.
“It’s this vision and strategic mindset, along with his intention to hold me to account, which was behind the decision to invite him to become Offploy’s first patron.
“We share the same ambition to help those with criminal convictions to secure employment and lead a positive life, while also seeking to shift the mindset of organisations across the UK and encourage them to give ex-offenders what will undoubtedly be a life-changing opportunity.”
Mr Gauke said: “It can be enormously challenging to provide the necessary support to ex-offenders.
“Government departments and private sector employers all have an important role to play, but organisations such as Offploy are vital in this area.
“Together, more can be done to give ex-offenders the opportunities they need to turn their lives around.
“People may be understandably concerned about whether someone with a criminal record can always be trusted.
“But many ex-offenders succeed in earning this confidence – to both their benefit and that of society.”
Since Offploy’s inception in 2016, the firm has supported more than 1,000 former offenders and 50 companies, earning Mr Hill a Winston Churchill Fellowship in 2020.